Total Drama Party with the Stars
by Asujoll
Summary: After a few years of hiatus, the Total Drama party is back! Chris, Topher, Lindsay, and Chef are back to oversee twenty contestants from previous Total Drama Party seasons, back for their greatest second chance at glory in the illustrious Drama City! It's a battle of challenges, blindsides, and twists, where only one of them can come out on top. Who will be the Star of the Party?
1. Ep 00: Prologue

January 24th, 2020.

Chris McLean looked forlornly at his Chris-A-Day calendar. Today was a picture of Chris Underwood. Chris grumbled and walked across his bedroom to retrieve a cigar box. Within the box were a few joints and a cheap lighter, nothing more. Chris took one, lit it, and climbed onto his bed. He turned on the television and cued something up.

_Welcome back to Total Drama Alpha Party!_

_Hiii!_

_In the last episode, we brought our campers to the mineshaft. Their mission: to retrieve a Gilded Chris from Ezekiel's lair._

_How and when did we even get him there?_

_Oh, he's been there all season!_

Chris chuckled halfheartedly. "God, it's not fair. Ratings weren't even low, it was just the damn budget."

Chris took more than a puff of his joint. He was barely watching the show he'd put on. It was just noise to help him space out.

The last season of Total Drama, Total Drama Shuffle Party, was filmed in 2016. The budget was already tight for that one, probably not helped by lawsuits catching up to the show, Topher's big virtual reality machine, and the waning interest in the show to begin with. Though the season didn't perform poorly, it didn't impress as much as previous seasons had, and the network was not able to put together enough money to fund another season. Chris was told that the show was on "hiatus until further notice".

"Tch. Yeah. The Black Eyed Peas are on 'hiatus'," Chris scoffed apropos of nothing but his own thoughts. "We should have gotten royalties from Godfrey and Ginger's stupid company. We basically paid them to advertise themselves. It's not fucking fair."

Chris barely registered that his phone was vibrating. Once he did, it still took him a second or two to pull it out of his pocket and answer it. He paused the show he'd been watching. "Whazzup?"

"Chris. Long time no speak," came a voice through the phone.

"Who the hell is this?" Chris asked warily.

"What, you don't remember your best pal Mr. Nelson?" the voice taunted.

"Mr. Nelson...? From Total Drama?!" Chris asked in disbelief.

"Aw, so you do remember," Nelson said in faux flattery.

"What the hell do you want, Nelson?" Chris asked, annoyed.

"You might want to drop the attitude. Topher finally sold his VR machine and wants to put the money towards funding a new season," Nelson explained.

"Of course he has. Why do you feel the need to tell me this?" Chris scowled.

A second of silence passed before a new voice came from the phone. "Yo, Mr. McLean!"

"Ugh. Hello, Topher," Chris groaned.

"You're on speakerphone," Nelson informed.

"Chris, buddy, we want you on this new season with us!" Topher said enthusiastically. "After all, I've only met two-fifths of the contestants."

"...I don't get it," Chris said.

"Oh, shoot, we didn't tell you. It's All-Stars!" Topher gushed. "We're thinking of bringing back twenty contestants from the Party era. Four from each season."

"We're just ignoring old-school contestants?" Chris asked in disbelief. "What about old fan favorites like Duncan or Jasmine?"

"Most if not all of them have expressed zero interest in returning. I can't say I'm shocked considering how reckless the show was with contestant safety back then," Nelson said. "Of course, the production and hosting team will include two older fan favorites."

"Two...?" Chris asked. "Wait a minute-"

"Can I talk now?" came a female voice.

"You just did," Nelson said flatly.

"Lindsay?" Chris asked.

"Yes! They can afford to have me back this season!" Lindsay chirped.

"Not a bad production team, wouldn't you say?" Nelson mentioned.

"Wait, what happened to Lynch and Vex?" Chris asked.

"Lynch retired, and Vex found a job at another network," Nelson explained. "Don't sound too disappointed, Sunshine. Everyone knows you want this. Everyone knows you want to be back out there, hosting Total Drama."

Chris looked at the paused screen on his television. The man on TV looked elated to be there.

"When do you want me to meet up with you?" Chris asked.

"Next Monday," Nelson told him. "You know the place."

"I'll be there," Chris said. "After all, it's not like the show can go on without the host with the most." Chris grinned.

* * *

Chris pushed open the double doors of the meeting room with purpose before striding on in. Nelson, Topher, and Lindsay were already seated at the table.

"Ah, Christopher. Just as extra as ever, I see," Topher commented.

"You're one to talk. I see you're still overcompensating with that hairdo of yours," Chris shot back.

"At least I still have hair," Topher provoked.

"Oh, that does it!" Chris snapped.

"Guyyyyys!" Lindsay whined. "It had better not be like this all season with you two!"

"As long as it doesn't get out of hand, I actually think that bickering between hosts like this would make for good television," Nelson chuckled.

"Yeah, that's right, you said Topher and Lindsay would be on the hosting team?" Chris mentioned as he sat down.

"Obviously, the two have the experience, and the two are well-liked," Nelson confirmed. "The idea was for you to be our main host, Topher to be secondary, and Lindsay to be tertiary. Each of the three of you can act as official administrators and television personalities as needed, but the hierarchy will be clear."

"I, for one, am honored to play second fiddle to the one and only Chris McLean," Topher claimed.

"Does that make me the clarinet?" Lindsay asked.

"Anyway, now that that's established, we need to establish how the game itself will work," Nelson continued.

"Do we have a location in mind?" Chris asked. "I wouldn't even mind going back to Neo Wawanakwa or the Tuinga Islands or something."

"We had to liquidate those assets in order to help generate funding," Nelson said.

"You make it sound so small-scale!" Chris pointed out. "Wait, we're not holding another one in my mansion again, are we?"

"Relax. We have a new location," Nelson told him. He turned on a projector above him, and a display appeared behind him. The display showcased a small city with buildings of all shapes and sizes, paved streets, and even a few parks and open grassy areas.

"Where is this?" Chris asked.

"This is actually some real estate in the middle of Saskatchewan that we've been sitting on in case we wanted to use it as a new location for a new season," Nelson explained.

"Definitely panned out, sir. Nice thinking," Topher flattered.

"We're calling it 'Drama City'," Nelson said proudly.

"Like the network for Korean drama shows?" Lindsay asked.

"We were calling it that first, I promise," Nelson insisted, annoyed. "Anyway, the contestants will reside in shoddy motels initially, and work their way up to better living conditions as they perform well and make it farther in the game. The city will provide a lot of space for all kinds of challenges to take place, a few amenities to keep the contestants occupied, and we even have an entire area set aside to bring back the exile twist from our previous all-stars season."

"I always did feel like that twist was underutilized," Chris nodded.

"Speaking of Isolation Park - that's where exile will take place - we're also thinking of bringing back hidden statues," Nelson said.

"Those really shaped people's strategies in Alpha Party!" Lindsay gasped.

"The ones this season won't be as overpowered as they were in that season, but we have ideas," Nelson said. "We're going to hide them all around Isolation Park, and each one is going to be in the image of a different Party-era winner and will have its own effect. The Godfrey statue, for example, might double the value of the vote you cast. The David statue might give your team an advantage in the challenge - or just you if it's an individual challenge. Stuff like that."

"Interesting," Chris nodded.

"And there will only be one of each this season; no re-hiding them after they're played. So we don't have to worry about statues dictating all the results like in other, inferior reality game shows," Nelson boasted.

"Smart move," Topher grinned. "Five statues altogether for the season sounds good."

"This is great and all, but who are we bringing back?" Chris asked impatiently.

"Awwww, you missed everyone, didn't you?" Lindsay cooed.

"I did not! I'm just, you know, interested in what kind of dynamics will happen," Chris insisted.

"We're still discussing potential themes," Nelson admitted. "I still think we should give heroes versus villains another shake."

"Naw, man. That's old hat," Topher disagreed. "Besides, the idea of having heroes or villains in a reality game is outdated. Everyone's making sneaky moves, everyone's got some kind of depth. Nobody's really a hero or villain anymore."

"I wouldn't say _nobody_," Lindsay frowned. "People like Hugh and Fauna were definitely villains. And people like Quentin and Amelie were definitely heroes."

"I will say right off the bat that Fauna will not be returning," Nelson said firmly.

"Aww, come on, she was funny," Chris laughed. "I agree, though, that I'm not sure how much I like the idea of heroes versus villains. That's going to count out a bunch of people who don't really fall under either. And besides, there's going to be that obnoxious debate over who really 'deserves' to be called a hero or villain, or who should have taken a spot on that team instead. To this day I'm getting no end of grief from people who think I should have put Courtney on the Villainous Vultures from the start, or gotten Brick or Dawn to come back and be on the Heroic Hamsters instead of Sierra and Sam."

"Lindsay, you were actually a participant in that season. Any input?" Topher asked.

"I was?" Lindsay asked.

"Heh heh. Fair enough. I'd like to forget that travesty of a season as well," Topher laughed.

"I definitely think we should avoid subjective labels," Chris reiterated. "How about a good old-fashioned battle of the sexes? Weren't we thinking of having a Party season like that before the budget fell through?"

"Hm, maybe," Nelson considered.

"Oh! I might have an idea!" Lindsay announced.

"What is it?" Nelson asked.

"Well, okay, it was actually Beth's idea. You remember Beth," Lindsay prefaced. "She and I were talking about the show one time, and she thought it'd be neat if there was a season where people who've made it to the merge faced off against people who never did."

"That did get kind of muddy with the Season One cast participating in so many seasons, but all of the Party casts have only played once..." Topher thought aloud. "That count be interesting! There were a lot of people who, I feel like, were shafted before they could play in the merge. Plus, we'd still get to bring back fan favorites who did make the merge!"

"There could be something there," Nelson nodded. "The dynamic of underdogs looking for their second chance versus players that the fans already know and love... Yes, that will definitely bring in viewership!"

"You said four people from each Party season, right?" Chris mentioned. "That makes it easy! One boy and one girl who was voted out pre-merge, and one boy and one girl who did make it to the merge. Do that for all five seasons. Bam! We've got a cast!"

"We are definitely onto something, here!" Nelson said excitedly.

"Although, do any of us particularly know a whole lot about the House Party cast?" Chris asked.

"Didn't you watch that season?" Topher asked in disbelief.

"Only once, to see what I'd missed," Chris admitted. "I've got to be honest: watching a season hosted by my kidnapper while I was tied up in that very house wasn't particularly thrilling."

"...I suppose this was going to come to light at some point," Nelson hesitated.

"What?" Chris asked. "Tell me you're not."

"Not as a host, or a producer. Just as a chef," Nelson said. "Of course, we were planning on asking for his input in who from House Party to invite, since he's the only one among us with much firsthand experience with them."

"Why is this necessary?!" Chris snapped.

"Chris, it'll be alright," Lindsay assured him. "He can't hurt you anymore."

"That's what I thought the first time," Chris said bereftly. "Let's just move on. Loser accommodations. What's the plan?"

"We're actually planning on bringing back another idea we've dropped in the past," Nelson grinned. "The Aftermath show! Ousted contestants, as well as the studio itself, will be located about a forty-five-minute drive from Drama City. There will also be basic accommodations there, not dissimilar to the shoddy hotels in Drama City."

"Who will host the Aftermath show?" Chris asked.

"We've got ideas," Nelson assured him. "The hosts will, of course, not be participating in the season, but we'll see who we can get to do it."

"Ooh! Can other old contestants who aren't playing show up as guests?" Lindsay proposed.

"That was another idea we had," Nelson smiled. "This season is meant to be a celebration of what we've done these past few seasons. We'd be remiss not to hear from as many contestants as we can, especially since it's been a few years since our last season."

"That leads us to the big question," Chris decided. "Who will be our twenty contestants in this season?"

* * *

Five Months Later...

* * *

A van pulled up to the city limits of Drama City. Chris, Nelson, Topher, and Lindsay stepped out.

"Damn. It's nicer in person," Chris admitted.

"I told you this would be a worthwhile investment," Nelson said proudly.

A police vehicle pulled up behind the van. A police officer escorted its passenger out of the back: a large, imposing man in handcuffs.

"Chef. Long time no see," Chris glared.

"It's. _Hatchet_," the man growled.

"It's _Chef_," Nelson told the man smugly. "Be grateful that we allowed you this opportunity. We had every reason not to."

"Anythin' to break up the damn monotony of prison." Chef spit on the ground.

"Hi, Chef! It's me, Lindsay!" Lindsay greeted sunnily.

"Let's just get me to my work station," Chef groaned.

The officer undid Chef's handcuffs. "If you feel any need to remove him from the premises, let me know immediately," she told the producers.

"Will do. Thanks, Officer Pelly!" Topher acknowledged.

The officer returned to her vehicle and drove off.

"Well, then," Nelson smirked. "Shall we begin?"

The five entered the city limits of Drama City

* * *

_I was certainly shocked to be asked back for another season. I didn't think they were bringing back old contestants anymore. At the end of my last season, I was asked if I ever wanted to play this game again. I wasn't sure at the time, but as soon as I got home, I knew for a fact that I did. I certainly haven't figured out much else I'd rather do with my life. Heh._

* * *

The staff entered a golf cart, and Nelson began to drive them around. He eventually settled at a run-down looking motel with two stories.

"This is where the contestants will be staying, I presume?" Topher guessed.

"Correct," Nelson confirmed. "Of course, they will be able to earn more accommodating lodging if they perform well in the game. Let us visit one room as an example."

The five exited the golf cart and approached the nearest door. All the doors had cheap nameplates to indicate whose room was whose. Nelson took a master key card from his pocket and used it to unlock and open the door.

* * *

_Man, I really lucked out getting invited to play Total Drama again. Haha. I guess I'd better take full advantage of the opportunity. I'm sure there are a lot of people who wish they were in my position, and I don't want to waste what someone else could have done more with. Mostly I just hope I don't get screwed over by a statue again._

* * *

Inside the motel room was a twin-sized bed, a nightstand, a closet, and a restroom.

"Fancy," Chris remarked.

"Obviously, living in relative squalor ought to push the contestants into doing whatever they can to make their way up in the Total Drama world," Nelson responded.

"So the rich keep gettin' richer," Chef commented.

"So success is rewarded," Nelson insisted. "And even if someone spends the entire premerge in this hotel room, it's still perfectly feasible shelter with anything they'll need. Unless they need electricity or air conditioning for 24 hours. That only lasts from 9 am to 12 am at the motel."

"Excellent cost-saving measure, Mr. Nelson," Topher complimented.

* * *

_Going out and playing this game the first time was a bigger step for me than I wish it was. I've never been a people person, and I've definitely never been a physically active person. Of course... I did meet my husband on this show, and he knows how much I enjoyed playing the first time, even though he never played it himself. Maybe I'll even win this time. Wouldn't that be something?_

* * *

The group had exited the motel and hopped back into the golf cart. Nelson drove them.

"Our next stop will be Hatchet's Diner," Nelson informed the others.

"No shit?" Chef asked. "I get a whole-ass diner?"

"Of course. It fits with the city aesthetic nicely, I think," Nelson said. "We've even got ingredients stocked and menu ideas, which you are free to use or not at your own discretion."

"Huh. Certainly ain't the worst gig I've had on this show," Chef said.

"What would you say was the worst?" Topher asked. "You didn't get to do a whole lot on Pahkitew Island, but at the tail end of Action you threatened to quit..."

"Whichever season you first showed up was," Chef spat.

"Pahkitew, interesting, interesting," Topher nodded.

* * *

_I can see it now! I become Total Drama's latest winner, and get that blue ribbon! I'm so excited to be back. The last time I played didn't really end on the highest note, and, it's a cliche to say it, but it did leave me feeling rather blue. But the sky's the limit on my second chance! I'll show the world not to underestimate me!_

* * *

The golf cart parked in a parking lot in front of a medium-sized building with a neon sign in front of it. The sign, naturally, said "Hatchet's Diner" in neon letters, and had a stylized picture of Chef, as well as a marquee where one could swap letters in and out.

"I'll be damned. This diner don't look too bad at all," Chef grinned.

"Pretty good treatment for an actual criminal," Chris griped quietly to Lindsay.

"What, and you're _not_ a criminal?" Topher doubted.

"Chris has gotten better," Lindsay told him. "Maybe Chef did, too!"

"Is everythin' already set up?" Chef asked.

"Not everything. The game doesn't begin for a couple more weeks, so you'll have time to arrange everything to your liking," Nelson told him.

"Heheheh. _Per_fect," Chef chuckled.

* * *

_Gyarharhar! To be frank, I'd be outright offended if they _didn't_ ask me to come back! Say what ye will about me, but I kept me first season interesting. And I absolutely plan to do the same this go about! I just need to make sure I don't piss the others off too much, and I'll be good as gold! And I quite like gold._

* * *

Nelson began to drive the other staff members elsewhere.

"Where to next, Mr. Nelson?" Lindsay asked.

"Not far from Hatchet's Diner is the entrance to Isolation Park," Nelson said.

"That doesn't sound very isolated, brah," Chris pointed out.

"Believe me, Chris, the distance will just be a number," Nelson said. "That reminds me, I've already had a crew member hide the five statues throughout the park."

"Awww. I was hoping I could do it to make up for last time," Lindsay frowned.

"I'll be honest, Lindsay: you putting them all in one spot the last time is the main reason why we got a rando to hide them," Nelson said. "That, and it prevents the contestants from forcing the location of the statues out of you guys."

"Is that a concern?!" Lindsay gasped.

* * *

_Total Drama was a growing experience for me, above all else. I overcame a pretty major fear that had been holding me back from reaching my greatest potential, but I also learned that you can't trust anyone at face value. Even the dumb ones could be planning to take you out behind your back. I won't be so naive this time._

* * *

The golf cart arrived at an area with an incredibly tall and thick metal fence that was lined with barbed wire and had signs which read "Danger! High Voltage!" on them.

"You guys dare me to climb it?" Topher joked.

"Knock yourself out," Chris told him.

"If you guys will follow me inside," Nelson instructed as he exited the vehicle.

The other staff members followed Nelson through a hinged part of the fence. On the other side was a large park with several trees, ponds, fountains and benches all around the place.

"This just looks like a regular-ass park," Chef said.

"In a sense, it is," Nelson conceded. "Of course, there is no lodging or entertainment, nor readily available food or restrooms. The water that will come from the fountain should be safe to drink."

"And the statues?" Chris asked.

"Anyone sent here will have a lot of time to find them. We took that into account when hiding them," Nelson assured him.

* * *

_You can play a good game of Total Drama and still, like, have everyone underestimate you. I managed to do it, after all. I might have, ya know, taken that for granted, but that's what second chances are for. It's a season full of big players, anyway, right? I think I can, like, pretty easily slip through the cracks, if nothing else._

* * *

The staff members returned to the golf cart and drove away.

"By the way, are the contestants going to have access to golf carts like this?" Topher asked curiously.

"We only have the one, I'm afraid, and wouldn't you guys rather make use of it?" Nelson answered.

"Can they use it when we're not using it?" Lindsay asked.

"I want to say yes, but we can't run the risk of them damaging it," Nelson said.

"They're nineteen at the youngest. They should be able to drive without killing themselves," Chris doubted.

"That's easy to say when your daughter hasn't crashed your car," Nelson said bitterly.

"Kids are idiots! I'm with the suit, here!" Chef added.

* * *

_Things have not gone well for me since I was last on la télévision. I'm sure many of the people who are back to play see this as their second chance at glory, but this may be my second chance at a decent life. But what am I supposed to do when playing a pragmatic game is what got me in hot water in the first place?_

* * *

The staff arrived at a different park in the center of the city. It didn't look too different from Isolation Park, save for the lack of a fence and the giant statue of Chris in the center.

"This is where everybody will meet up when it is time for a challenge," Nelson explained.

"So, wait, will they be walking everywhere?" Lindsay asked.

"It's not that big of a city," Nelson handwaved. "We could be walking now if I didn't want to get the tour over with more quickly. I want to begin the finishing touches on preparation for this season as soon as possible."

"Makes sense," Topher complied.

"I do like the me statue. Adds a bit of Total Drama flair to an established aesthetic," Chris grinned. "Does this park have a name, too? So I can tell the kids where to meet?"

"We didn't think to give it an official name," Nelson admitted.

"McLean Park, it is!" Chris declared.

Chef snorted.

* * *

_I am human perfection. There only reason I lost before is that they tried too hard to make the game relevant by completely upending the rules every few rounds. Assuming that this was only a one-time gimmick, I should be able to conquer this season unopposed. And if it isn't a one-time gimmick, then I'll be better prepared for it than most, if not all of the others._

* * *

The golf cart began driving elsewhere.

"I have to say, I'm getting more and more excited for all this the more I see of the city," Topher admitted.

"Speak for yourself. I'm just tryna get back to my damn diner," Chef said.

"It's important for you to be acquainted with the city as well, Clay," Nelson said.

"How?" Chef doubted.

"In case your services are needed in an instance where our three hosts are otherwise occupied," Nelson explained.

"Ain't that the point of havin' three hosts? So I don't gotta deal with none of that shit?" Chef questioned.

"Better to have this knowledge and not need it than to need it and not have it," Nelson told him.

"I ain't ever gonna need this knowledge," Chef muttered.

* * *

_Bro, this is so hype! Back at it on Total Drama, just me and the boys! And a bunch of girls, too. But it's like I always say: 'bro' is a gender-neutral word. I just need to get my head in the game and keep an eye out for any metaphorical hoes out there. Maybe paying more attention to the dynamics of my team wouldn't hurt, either._

* * *

The staff arrived at an elaborate building that read "O'Neal Barcade".

"Why is this place named after me?" Topher asked.

"To give it an increased sense of importance," Nelson told him. "Anyway, as I'm sure you gathered, this is a barcade. There will be video games set up as well as board games available in a separate room, as well as a full bar. This establishment will be open to the team who wins the challenge that day, and to everyone, once we hit merge."

"That sounds like so much fun!" Lindsay bubbled.

"Wait, does that mean my diner won't have any booze?!" Chef snapped.

"...Most diners don't," Nelson said flatly. "Of course, staff members will also have access to alcoholic beverages during off-hours."

"Mmmm," Chef nodded, still not fully content.

"That sounds like a good way to get the kids to not focus on the Total Drama game," Chris figured.

"Which could make them more prone to mistakes. Especially when alcohol is involved," Nelson smirked. "You can't tell me it wouldn't make for more interesting television."

"Eh, maybe," Chris accepted.

* * *

_I'm back, artards! And this time, I'm not just going to be a bad boy. I've outgrown that. I was a full-fledged villain the last time I played. And this time, I'm going to be THE villain. The man pulling all the strings, and the mastermind who will win this game. I dare anyone to try and stop me!_

* * *

The golf cart set off to its next destination.

"So, Lindsay, how are things with you and Tyler?" Topher asked. "You guys were a fan-favorite couple, you know. No love triangle drama, no awkward dynamics, just cute and wholesome."

"Oh, you know Tyler. Always looking for more reality shows to be in," Lindsay giggled. "We almost played in The Ridonculous Race together, but then my grandpa died and I got super sad and the funeral was at the same time as that season starting. So we're holding off on that for later. He understood."

"I'm just surprised you guys are still together after all this time," Chris said. "I don't think Sam and Dakota are even still together anymore."

"Why not? He couldn't fit it in her?" Chef snickered.

"Geoff and Bridgette got married," Topher pointed out to Chris. "As did several couples from the Party series. It's not so weird."

"I think Tyler wants to propose to me on The Ridonculous Race," Lindsay mentioned. "I can wait. It'll be so cool to get engaged on TV!"

"If you say so," Chris said.

* * *

_I wasn't able to, um, take as full of charge of my teams as I would have liked. Being on a season full of, um, determined players probably won't make that any easier. But I promised my parents that I could be, um, a capable leader, and I intend to make good on that promise. It'll just take some figuring out, is all._

* * *

The golf cart arrived at a skyscraper that read "Blaising Tower" right above the door.

"Hey wait a minute! That's my last name!" Lindsay realized. "Blaising, I mean. Not Tower."

"Again, it helps to give this building a sense of importance," Nelson said. "This is where we'll house the improved living conditions that contestants can work their way up to. We still need to figure out the mechanical specifics of how one can move out of the motel and into Blaising Tower. There will be reward challenges during the first half of the premerge, so that might factor into it."

"Wait, non-elimination episodes? Boring!" Chris objected.

"These contestants don't have as much to prove as a brand-new cast would. The fans might appreciate the extended company of their favorites before they all get voted out," Nelson said. "Besides, it allows them more time to figure out their dynamics... and which dynamics to go against."

"I'll admit I'm skeptical as well, but I won't judge the idea fully before I see it in action," Topher said.

"I guess a non-elimination episode did buy you one whole episode of screentime back on Pahkitew," Chris remarked.

"See, exactly! Excellent idea!" Topher agreed. "Wait..."

* * *

_Obviously, it'd be foolish to come back to the game under the same persona I adopted during my previous attempt. I managed to get people to mistrust me in only half the time it took some of the other contestants in this game. It took some figuring out, but I have a new mask to don for this season, one that should keep the target off my back._

* * *

The staff entered Blaising Tower and entered one of the rooms within. This room was a lot more spacious, with a queen bed, a desk with a notebook and pencils, a sofa, a mini-fridge, a more spacious closet, a more spacious restroom, and a balcony behind a sliding glass door.

"Well, this is definitely an improvement over the motel," Topher mentioned. "I imagine there's 24-hour electricity and air conditioning?"

"Naturally," Nelson nodded.

Chef snorted. "Kids these days don't understand the privileges they got. I ain't had a private shower in six years!"

"And whose fault is that?" Chris glared.

"The system's, goddammit!" Chef maintained.

"Of course, this is not the pinnacle of what Blaising Tower has to offer," Nelson smirked. "If you guys will follow me..."

Nelson led the staff to the elevator. Once they were all inside, he held his key card over the reader and pressed the top floor button.

* * *

_I can't believe I got invited back to Total Drama! I definitely didn't make as much of a splash on the game as my husband did, and he didn't get invited back. He's really supportive of me coming back, though, just like I would be if he came back and I didn't. Just like last time, I'm ready to conquer this game in the name of love!_

* * *

On the top floor of Blaising Tower was a penthouse. Empty picture frames lined the walls. There was a small kitchen off to the side with a table and chairs, refrigerator, oven and stove, countertops, etc. To the other side was a bedroom with a king-sized bed, a desk with a notebook and pencil, and a large bathroom connected to it with a hot tub bath and a bidet in addition to the prerequisite shower, toilet, and sink. The bedroom also had a sliding glass door that led to a patio-sized balcony.

"The penthouse!" Nelson announced. "Again, we're still ironing out the kinks on how exactly one will win access to this prestigious room, but it has everything they're ever going to need in a living space. The picture frames will be filled with pictures of friends and family of whoever is staying there at the moment, and there will be a gift basket of the contestant's favorite snacks, as well."

"What's this whole-ass kitchen even for? They ain't gonna have any ingredients!" Chef pointed out.

"Oh, right, the fridge will also be stocked with ingredients for some of their favorite home-cooked meals, and recipes will be provided as well," Nelson explained.

Chef growled.

"Sounds like a hell of a reward," Topher nodded. "I'd pay to live here."

"I imagine we'll be staying in rooms of similar quality," Chris brought up.

"The staff will reside in the upper floors of Blaising Tower below the penthouse," Nelson explained. "These rooms will be identical to the rooms I showed you all previously."

"That's still good," Lindsay smiled.

* * *

_Prison is a very scary place. I've never been incarcerated, of course, but someone very dear to me has and is. I've been to visit him in person several times over the years, and I can't help but worry about his safety every time I do. Sadly, he isn't able to come back for another season of this show, so I'll do what I can to win this for him._

* * *

The staff returned to the golf cart and drove off elsewhere once again.

"Our next stop is where eliminations will take place," Nelson said. "I'm particularly proud of this location."

"What's so great about it?" Lindsay asked innocently.

"Come on, Lindsay, elimination is the heart and soul of Total Drama," Topher claimed. "The tension of where the votes will fall. Not knowing for sure what's going to happen. The knowledge that the dynamics will change irreversibly after the night is over."

"Nerd," Chris jibed.

"You don't agree?" Topher asked. "What is Total Drama but the survival of the fittest?"

"A dumb little game show for children!" Chef insisted. "If y'all ain't ever been out on a real battlefield, don't be talkin' to me about no survival of no fittest!"

"Jealous that you've never had a chance to play Total Drama?" Topher teased.

"What? No! What the hell are you smokin', boy?!" Chef snapped.

* * *

_Will the odds be in my favor this go around? I sure as hell hope so. I'm definitely not going to give myself the option to vote myself out. I thought having that be a thing would just add to the thrill of the risk factor, and I wanted to hold true to it, but I regretted it the instant I walked out the mansion doors. Of course, that doesn't mean I won't still be adding a touch of randomness to the game._

* * *

The staff arrived at a small building.

"This is it?" Chris asked. "This is where we're going to have eliminations?"

"If you'll follow me," Nelson smirked.

Nelson led the others into the building. Once all five were in, Nelson pressed a button on the wall. The door to the building slammed shut, and the staff felt a sense of motion to the room.

"Is this room an elevator?" Chris asked.

"That's right," Nelson confirmed. "This elevator will take us to our underground elimination station."

"That's neat," Lindsay smiled.

The elevator room eventually came to a stop, and the door opened. On the other side of the door was a large round room. The walls met up to the ceiling in a dome shape, and the ceiling was decorated with star designs. In the center of the room were eleven podiums arranged in a circle and facing one another.

"Shiny!" Lindsay said in awe.

* * *

_Mweeheehee... Can you imagine how upset it must have made some of the others who could have been asked back to play, only for little ol' me to be here instead of them? The very thought makes me _quiver_ with joy. I just hope I can spread a fraction of such unrest to the other contestants. ...I proooooobably can._

* * *

"I was a particular fan of the open discussion format that the Robot Chris Trial challenge took in House Party," Nelson said as he and the others walked across the room. "So I decided to apply it to eliminations. Immediately after a challenge, those partaking in elimination will immediately be escorted here and will have to openly discuss who they wish to eliminate if they want to maintain any sort of majority. Throw each other under the bus, call each other out, come to each other's aid. Fun stuff."

"It was one of my prouder moments," Chef boasted.

"And what's going to stop them from talking game outside of the elimination?" Chris asked.

"I'm not trying to completely prevent discrete discussion. Lies and deception are still important in this game," Nelson said. "I can't imagine much will be lost even if not every elimination is as live and active as the robot trial was."

"Have some faith, Chris," Topher insisted. "I, for one, am excited to see how this all pans out."

"Call me a cynic, I guess," Chris shrugged.

* * *

_Playing Total Drama was a mistake. I was voted out early, I didn't accomplish anything, I didn't make any friends. Sigh... It was still the best experience I've had in recent memory. I can't imagine doing this again will be an overall positive experience, but maybe it won't be a negative experience. Oh, who am I kidding, it probably will._

* * *

"So, wait, what's the elimination method, here?" Chris asked. "You can't really transport someone out of an underground room quickly and easily."

"Watch this," Nelson smirked as he pressed a button on the wall.

The domed ceiling opened up, revealing a hole that led above ground. A mechanical rope with a big shackle on the end slithered down and grabbed Chef by the waist.

"What the hell?!" Chef reacted.

The rope pulled Chef up to the surface, and the ceiling closed.

"That rope will drag the loser up to a vehicle which will then drive them to the Aftermath studio," Nelson explained.

"Ooh, dramatic!" Topher gushed with stars in his eyes.

"Are we going to have to pick Chef up from all the way over there?" Chris asked.

"Oh, no, the vehicle isn't currently being driven," Nelson assured him. "We can return above ground, though."

"Good. This place is stuffy as hell," Chris complained.

* * *

_It was only natural that they brought me back. I am basically _the_ fan-favorite of not just Total Drama, but all of existence. Last time, I was taken out right at the merge for being such a massive threat, but everyone's supposed to be a threat in this one, right? Obviously not as much of a threat as me, but still, the lamers out here should take some of the heat off of me._

* * *

The rest of the staff had returned to the surface and approached a nearby van, which was painted black and had star patterns all over it.

"This is the Van of Losers," Nelson said. "Of course, it drags the losers up with the Shackle of Shame. Chef should be in the back right now.

Nelson opened the trunk of the van, where Chef was, indeed, still bound by the shackle, which was wound around a winch.

"Finally! Get me the hell out of this thing!" Chef commanded.

Nelson pressed a button on the winch, which undid the shackle. Topher offered Chef his hand to help him out of the trunk, which Chef refused. The large man stepped out of the trunk and dusted himself off.

"You said it was about a forty-five-minute drive to the Aftermath studio, right?" Chef asked. "Stuck in that trunk? Sadistic bastard. I like it. Give 'em some consequence for failure!"

"Is being taken out of the game not enough of a consequence?" Topher laughed.

"Not when you've gone through the hell I go through on a daily basis!" Chef roared.

* * *

_Even though I was the first person voted out of my season, Total Drama has still given a lot for me. I could escape from my horrible life in Israel, get a real family, and I even have some kind of fans on social medias for taking pretty pictures. I owe this show for all this, I think, so I'll be honored to come back and do it again. They'd just better not vote me out first this time!_

* * *

"Well, that should be everything," Nelson said.

"What about the Aftermath studio?" Lindsay asked.

"That's not a priority for us. We have a dedicated team making sure that's all put together," Nelson told her. "For now, though, let's get started on the finishing touches for this season."

"I'm excited," Topher beamed.

"Me too!" Lindsay cheered.

"Hmph," Chef grunted.

"...It's good to be back," Chris grinned. He clapped his hands together. "Alright, gang. Let's make this the best season of Total Drama yet!"

* * *

_A/N: Just a little prologue before the game proper begins. I've generally avoided too many continuity references in past fics because I wanted them all to stand on their own without needing to read the others, but this season, you can expect callbacks, references, and continuations of things established in the past. I trust that anyone reading this has already read the five previous Total Drama Party fics, and if you haven't, consider this as me imploring you to do so before you read any more._

_I hope you guys are as excited about this season as I am. Who do you think will be playing based on those little blurbs interspersed through the chapter? How do you think everyone will do? I look forward to showing you guys what's in store!_


	2. Ep 01: Reconvention

Chris stood at the entrance of Drama City with a giddy grin on his face. A huge bus could be seen in the horizon, en route to the location of the latest season of Total Drama.

"Here they come," Chris said.

"You excited?" Topher asked as he and Lindsay joined up with Chris.

"Absolutely. It's been too long," Chris grinned.

"I'm excited, too!" Lindsay cheered.

"We've got a good lineup of returning players, and a big huge city for them to play to their heart's content," Chris said. "I wonder what's going through their heads right now."

"Probably how freaking psyched they are to be back on the best TV show in the world," Topher said.

"I'm expecting great things from these guys," Chris nodded. "From both teams."

"I can't wait to meet everyone!" Lindsay clapped. "Even the ones I have met, it's been so long."

The bus eventually arrived right in front of the city limits. The door to the bus opened, and twenty young adults made their way out of the vehicle.

"Welcome, contestants, to Total Drama Party with the Stars!" Chris announced.

The contestants clapped and cheered.

"If we may, not all of us have met formally," Topher began. "I'm Topher O'Neal. I was a contestant on Pahkitew Island, and was eventually recruited to host Explore Party and Virtual Party."

"'Recruited'? Is that was they call 'given a position to shut you up'?" Chris commented.

"I'm Lindsay Blaising!" Lindsay introduced. "I was a contestant, too! In a bunch of seasons! And I was also a cohost in Alpha Party to make sure Chris behaved."

"And, of course, I'm the host with the most: Chris McLean," Chris grinned. "After my experience as a reality TV contestant on ice dancing shows, I've hosted a majority of the seasons on this show. Those of you from Alpha Party and Shuffle Party should know me well."

"As for Chef Hatchet, the host of House Party, he is currently preparing today's lunch," Topher said. "But why not allow you guys to introduce yourselves, just so everyone's on the same page with one another?"

"Well, I guess I'll start," said a blonde woman to the far left of the group. "I'm Brittany Hardwick, and I was on Total Drama Explore Party. I placed pretty well if I do say so myself. As for life after the show, I'm still trying to figure out what direction I want to go in. Until then, I'm excited to be back!"

"Might as well go down the line, right?" figured a young man next to Brittany. "I'm Quentin Sandhu, and I played in Alpha Party. I didn't make it super far in the game, but I did manage to find all six hidden Chris statues at once by accident. That was pretty funny. Since then, I've actually taken up studying ornithology. I just think birds are neat."

"I guess that means I'm next," groaned the woman next to Quentin. "My name is Isidora Foshee, and I was also a contestant in Total Drama Alpha Party. I made it to the final five despite being anemic and not really liking people all that much, so I guess I've got that going for me. I also met my husband Cassius during the family visit episode, of all things. Go figure."

"I'm Cyan Blau!" introduced a tall woman whose hair, clothes, and makeup were all blue. "I was in Total Drama Virtual Party, and even though I didn't quite make it to the merge, I still played the best game I could have. I'm looking forward to painting this town blue, just like I do with a lot of things. Assuming things go well for me, that is." She giggled modestly.

"Harhar! I be the reason that Cyan here didn't quite make the merge. Hold your applause," boasted the man next to Cyan, who was dressed as a pirate. "Ye be standing in the presence of the Dread Pirate Irving Drake! I actually be but a humble lad who runs a successful media sharing website, which they still haven't been able to do anything about! Regardless, I shall enact me reign of terror over these seas once more!"

"Well, that's going to be a tough act to follow," scoffed the woman next to Irving sarcastically. "I'm Kiki Koizumi. I was in Total Drama House Party, and I also just barely missed the merge, thanks to the show feeling the need to bring four people back. I was a bit of a nervous wreck at the time, but I'm a new woman, and I won't let anyone walk all over me!"

"Neat," droned the man next to Kiki. "I'm, ya know, Ernie Henderson. I was kind of a big deal in Total Drama House Party. At least a big enough deal to, like, be asked to come back, I guess. I don't know. I napped through the entire bus ride up here, and I'm feeling kind of, ya know, groggy. Next person."

"..._Je suis Jean-Marie Antoine_," introduced an unkempt, tired-looking man. "I was known for claiming a lot of power in Total Drama Explore Party. Since then, well, life has not been so fortunate to me, but that is neither here nor there. I see this as an opportunity to turn over a new leaf."

"How pathetic," scoffed a woman in athletic gear. "I need no introduction. I am Shadya Aiyub, the genius athlete who has broken more records than anyone in my age range. Of course, I placed incredibly high in Total Drama Shuffle Party, cheated out of a win solely by the idiocy of others. I aim to rectify that and claim my rightful victory."

"Sounds pretty heavy, bro," chuckled a tall, muscular man. "Anyway, the name's Joseph Agolli. I was in Total Drama Virtual Party. I didn't do as well as I wish I did, but I'm back, and I'm ready to play some Total Drama! If you're ever in a bind, you can count on your bro Joseph to help you out."

"That's cute, I guess," sneered the young man by Joseph. "Anyway, you artards already know who I am. Hugh Kincaid: the big villain of Total Drama Alpha Party. The bad boy to end all bad boys. I'm back and ready to kick even more ass! And hey, ladies, if any of you are interested... too bad! I've got a girlfriend already!"

"Well, that's, um, impressive," remarked a smartly-dressed young man. "Anyway, hello, everyone. My name is Kun Jiang. I participated in Total Drama Shuffle Party. Much like Shadya before me, I was the first to fall victim to one of the season's famous shuffles. But this time will be, um, different. I will lead my team effectively, no two ways about it... Yeah."

The next man had a glimmer in his eye and a dark smirk on his face before he stepped up. "Hey, guys! My name is Barry Flynn, and I was on Total Drama House Party. It was a really fun experience, so I'm glad to be back for this one. I really feel like it's the Lord's will for me to be here."

"Alright! My turn!" grinned a stocky woman excitedly. "My name's Louise Juarez. I was on Shuffle Party, and I actually signed up for the same season as my husband - boyfriend at the time - Elmer without even realizing it. That was funny, but it did cost me the game, so I'm super psyched to be back for another go where it's just me! As for my personal life, I'm actually teaching PE at a local elementary school."

The woman next to Louise cleared her throat politely. "Hello, everybody. My name is Bailey Donnelly, and I last competed on Total Drama House Party. My time in that game was... certainly something, but it's something that I couldn't say no to returning to. I look forward to getting to know you all and to play a good game."

"If anyone knows anything about good games, it's me," smirked the young man next to Bailey. "I'm Nolan Gallagher, and I played in House Party as well. I had a whole shtick where I'd let the roll of the dice determine my gameplay, and that led to me voting myself out. Heh. Don't worry, I won't be _as_ unreliable this time."

"Mweeheehee. I doubt that," giggled the young woman next to Nolan. "Aaaaaaaaanyway, I'm Lilith Acerola. I robbed the people from Virtual Party that fans actually wanted back out of a spot here. That fills me with such _unrest_~ I hope I can fill you all with unrest, too. You could all make for wonderful ghosts. Mweeheehee..."

The tall young woman next to Lilith gulped and took a few steps away from her. She sighed. "Well, I might as well get this over with. I'm Frita Dratch. I didn't last two rounds in Explore Party, and I only survived the first round because my team won the challenge, somehow. Don't feel bad if you want to vote me out early again. I get it."

"Man, what an absolute lamer!" laughed the man next to Frita. "Now, to tell you all that I'm Steve Jenkins would be an insult to your intelligence. You all _know _Steve Jenkins. Steve Jenkins is a way of life for everybody, especially now that I've got a super-successful vlog. You're all welcome for blessing you with my presence."

"So I'm last, then? Just like in the Alpha Party," mentioned a fashionably-dressed young woman. "My name is Dalit Lumière. I didn't really get to play this game when I was there before, but I did meet my sister Bijou, and her family took me in. I am now a little famous on social media for being a model. But I am not here to make friends! I am here to defeat you all!"

"Wait, I'm not last?! Damn it, go back, we need to save the best for last!" Steve Jenkins panicked.

"If we let you guys decide which one of you was the best, half of you would claim it was yourself," Chris mentioned. "Instead, why don't we let the game decide that? Hehaha."

"The game is not an accurate measure of who is the best," Shadya claimed.

"That's debatable, but this is a season where we hand-picked the best of the best," Topher said. "Whoever wins this one has to at least be up there."

"Then why was I picked...?" Frita sighed.

"Come on, bro, chin up," Joseph urged her. "This'll be the opportunity of a lifetime."

"Isn't it time we got them to the hotel?" Lindsay wondered.

"That's true! Follow me, everyone!" Chris instructed.

* * *

The hosts led the contestants to the shoddy motel where they would be staying.

"And what have we here?" Irving asked.

"This, contestants, is where you'll be staying!" Topher announced.

"Seems kinda, like, a downgrade from the nice mansion from before," Ernie commented.

"Mansion? We got cabins that were maybe only slightly better than this," Isidora mentioned.

"We just had to sleep in a tent," Frita sighed.

"You guys got free shelter?!" Steve Jenkins gasped.

"Now, now. This won't be your permanent residence," Chris assured them. "Winning a challenge will give you temporary access to the Blaising Tower rooms, which are a lot nicer. I'll show you guys those once you've earned the right to live there. Feel free to take a few minutes to get yourselves settled in your rooms. You'll need these to enter your room."

Chris took a stack of card keys out of his pocket and handed half of them to Topher and the other half to Lindsay. The other two hosts distributed the card keys to their respective contestants.

"There are also cameras in your bathrooms - these are your confessionals," Chris continued. "Don't worry, the rooms are soundproof, and there's a lens cap you can use to cover the camera when you're not using the confessional, and a button to turn it on or off."

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Nolan:** Oh, of course, I brought my dice back. _(He grins as he holds up a six-sided die.)_ Do you think I'd be caught dead coming back to Total Drama and _not_ bringing the dice? The self-imposed challenge was half the fun. Who will the dice choose to be my allies? Who will the dice choose for me to vote against? I can hardly wait to find out.

**Lilith:** There are soooooo many people who seem really glad to be on Total Drama again. How boring. People like Frita and Hugh have the right idea: clearly insecure and taking it out on everyone else. I wonder if I can help them channel that. Wouldn't that just be lovely~? Mweeheehee.

**Kun:** Hm, just as I, um, figured: there are a lot of people here who seem likely to, um, try and take charge as the team leader. Well, um, that simply isn't going to do. I will assert myself, lest I just get thrown to the wolves again. ...Of course, I'd still prefer if I wasn't on a team with, um, Shadya.

**Dalit:** Do not be mistaken. Just because Bijou has helped to teach me about how to dress in fashion, doesn't mean I can't still put up some fight. I think she said I would be a "female fatal". I like the sounds of that!

**Vladimir:** _(He chuckles)_ Well, well, my Barry disguise seems to be doing its job admirably. I put a lot of thought into who specifically I would pose as for this season. Obviously, I couldn't be Vladimir again, and I needed someone trustworthy, whom I could feasibly imitate, who I knew wasn't going to be here. The real Barry is on a mission trip in Zambia right now. Isn't Barry such a good person? Isn't he someone you just couldn't bring yourself to vote out?

* * *

The contestants finished setting up their rooms and met back outside.

"Excuse me, Chris?" Kiki raised her hand. "I couldn't help but notice that everyone who made it to the merge has their room on the second story, while everyone who didn't make it to their merge has their room on the first story. That's how classism is born, and it needs to stop."

"Chris! Are you being classist?!" Lindsay accused.

"What? No!" Chris told her. "Actually, the top and bottom floors are separated by team."

"I suspected as much," Brittany admitted.

"Those of you with a room on the second floor, please stand to my right," Chris ordered.

Bailey, Brittany, Ernie, Hugh, Irving, Isidora, Lilith, Shadya, Steve Jenkins, and Vladimir did as instructed.

"The ten of you did, indeed, make it to the merge in your original season," Chris prefaced. "You know the game of Total Drama well, and you've established yourselves as truly deserving of being called 'stars'. You showed that you have enough strength in challenges, in charming others, or in stabbing backs, that we wanted to see you all again! That is why you, as a team will be... the Grand Gryphons!"

"Should Bailey even count? She had to return to make it to the merge," Shadya said bluntly.

"Hey, she still made it to the merge," Vladimir defended.

"Chick fight! Chick fight!" Hugh chanted.

"While, yes, I voted for myself in a moment of weakness, this occurred a few rounds before the merge would have happened anyway, and during the time I did spend in the merge, I upped my social and strategic gameplay considerably," Bailey responded. "I hope that we can look past any disagreement and work together as teammates."

"Why, it almost brings a tear to me eye," Irving joked.

"Moving right along!" Topher piped up.

"Thank you, Topher," Chris nodded. "Would those of you with a room on the ground floor step to my left?"

Cyan, Dalit, Frita, Jean-Marie, Joseph, Kiki, Kun, Louise, Nolan, and Quentin did as they were told.

"The ten of you were not able to make it to the merge of your original season," Chris prefaced. "Of course, that didn't stop all of you from standing out in your own way. Through sheer force of personality, strong gameplay, or just getting screwed by a twist, we felt that you all were stars in the making who deserved to come back. That's why your team will be... the Fighting Wyverns!"

"Can our team color please be blue?" Cyan begged.

"Sorry. The Gryphons' color is an orangish-gold, and the Wyverns' color is a reddish-purple. Already decided," Chris told her.

"Can we switch it so we're the Gryphons and they're the Wyverns?" Quentin inquired. "Mostly because gryphons are cooler."

"Please tell me you two won't be hung up on this all season," Kiki said flatly.

"Wyverns' carnivorous teeth are more capable of tearing their prey to shreds than a beak is," Frita offered. "It's a sign of us having superior strength."

"While that's, um, fascinating and all, can we please keep talk of eating things alive to a minimum?" Kun requested queasily.

Frita sighed.

"You mentioned Hatchet was making lunch, right?" Ernie asked Chris.

"Yes! Let's head on over to the diner!" Chris decided.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Shadya:** Once again, my team color is gold, because, once again, we will be taking first place in every challenge. Unless it's another luck-based challenge, in which case the loss cannot be blamed on the losing party. Either way, they know which color suits me best.

**Frita:** _(She sighs.)_ Even when I try to sound optimistic, people don't want to hear it. I don't know why I said anything.

* * *

The contestants had arrived at Hatchet's Diner. The interior of the building looked exactly like a stereotypical retro diner, complete with a vinyl record jukebox playing the oldies. Hugh flipped through the songs.

"What are you looking for?" Quentin asked.

"What's New Pussycat," Hugh snickered.

"Oh. I don't know that one," Quentin admitted.

"You will. Oh, you will," Hugh chuckled darkly.

"Alright, ya snot-nosed snots!" Chef barked as he exited the kitchen and entered the main dining area. "Today's lunch is gonna be pancakes!"

"Is eating pancakes at lunch a normal thing? I have been enjoying them at breakfast only," Dalit asked Louise.

"Pancakes are for any time of the day!" Louise beamed.

"See, this guy gets it!" Chef appreciated.

"Guy?!" Louise snapped, insulted.

"Chef Hatchet is not a friendly person. That is something that you'll have to get used to," Bailey told her. "He made more than one remark about my weight back in House Party."

"Y'all will get two pancakes each! No more, no less!" Hatchet announced as he returned to the kitchen.

"Do we get any syrup?" Ernie asked.

"And is there blueberry syrup?" Cyan added.

"What you get is what you get!" Chef hammered in. He put two plates of pancakes at the bar.

Jean-Marie and Isidora, who were closest to the plates of pancakes, glanced at each other, each took a plate, and each chose a booth to sit at.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Louise:** I guess Chef is keeping up that army persona where he feels like insulting everyone is supposed to motivate them. I've never agreed with that coaching philosophy, which I guess is part of why I teach elementary school kids.

**Hugh:** Damn it, they don't have What's New Pussycat! Aw, he totally knew what I was going to do, didn't he?

* * *

The twenty contestants all picked a booth to sit at. Kun had pulled Joseph, and Kiki aside to sit at the same booth as Jean-Marie.

"Damn, are we setting up alliances already?" Joseph asked.

"We can, um, discuss that later, but for now I have something important to, um, tell you all," Kun told them.

"People choosing to sit with certain other people can't be ignored, though," Kiki brought up. "It could very well be indicative of whom they'll want to work with."

"Mm, that is a concern, isn't it?" Kun thought aloud. "But, um, the main reason I asked you all to sit with me is that I recognize that all of you have taken leadership positions in your prior teams."

"You do not have to worry about me trying that again," Jean-Marie told him.

"Well, that's, um, good," Kun smiled. "Because, um, I will be taking the role of the team leader of the Fighting Wyverns. This is, um, non-negotiable." Kun swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Hey, whatever works for you, bro," Joseph grinned. "You won't catch me trying to overthrow a bro who wants to take charge."

"So long as you lead our team towards victory, then I also take little issue with this," Kiki said.

"_Tenter de diriger cette équipe ne me ferait aucun bien de toute façon_," Jean-Marie agreed.

"Of course, if all of you do want to form an alliance, that could, um, benefit us all going forward," Kun mentioned. "We're all, um, pretty capable members of this team. If we, um, want to keep the team strong, working together would, um, behoove us."

"Uh, yeah, sure, why not," Joseph accepted.

"This also works for me," Jean-Marie agreed.

"How could I say no?" Kiki added.

"Well, that's, um, great," Kun smiled. "I see a bright future for the four of us. What should we, um, name our alliance?"

"_Un nom_?" Jean-Marie asked.

"Well, um, of course," Kun said. "To establish that we are, um, unbreakable and powerful. It really, um, makes a difference, trust me."

"How about the Gorillaz?" Joseph joked. "Kun's 2-D, Jean-Marie's Murdoc, Kiki's Noodle, and I guess I'm Russel."

"Naming us after an animal known for being brutish and dumb doesn't really appeal to me," Kiki declined.

"I'm inclined to agree," Jean-Marie said.

"Damn," Joseph frowned.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kun:** My, um, biggest fear going into this season is that someone else would try, and succeed, to be the leader of my team. Thanks to some, um, quick thinking, I decided that having any potential leaders work for me would easily put me at the top of the team.

**Joseph:** I mean, I just kind of ended up as the team leader on the Pixel Peacocks, and I think that was mostly because I was good at the first challenge. So I'm definitely good with letting someone else take charge, and Kun seems like a bro.

**Jean-Marie:** Playing such a controlling game in Explore Party only really served to make me a threat in the eyes of my team, and it made me and my parents' company look bad on an international level. I will not be making such a mistake again if I want to win this game, and I very much do.

**Kiki:** Yeah, color me not impressed by this alliance at all. Kun is clearly in over his head and doesn't strike me as a capable leader in the slightest. Joseph's whole "bros before hoes" ideology really rubs me the wrong way. And Jean-Marie's just a proven misogynist. I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up voting one of them out as soon as our team is up for elimination.

* * *

Bailey, Brittany, and Vladimir all ended up sitting together.

"So, Barry, how are things with you and Rachel?" Bailey asked.

"We... broke up a few years ago, remember?" Vladimir told her.

"Aw, you did? I don't think I heard about that," Brittany frowned. "What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

Vladimir sighed. "She insisted that she was firmly agnostic, even after going to church several times and reading the Bible a bunch. I felt... convicted, to say the least. I just can't see a future with a woman who doesn't follow Jesus. It sucked immensely for both of us..."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Brittany consoled.

"I had forgotten about that. I'm sorry for bringing it up," Bailey apologized.

"That's alright," Vladimir smiled sadly. "You're still dating Franklin, right?"

"I am," Bailey confirmed. "Obviously, being in a relationship with someone who is in prison is not easy, but I love him enough that I'm willing to wait."

"That's so sweet," Brittany swooned with a hand over her heart. "You're so lucky, Bailey."

"I truly am," Bailey blushed.

"Love is patient. That's how 1 Corinthians 13:4 starts," Vladimir smiled. "I'm rooting for you guys."

"How's life been going for you, Brittany?" Vladimir asked.

"Oh, me?" Brittany asked. "Nothing of much note, you know. I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. Which, you know, at 22 years old I wish I had figured out already."

"The Lord has His plans for all of us, and those plans happen when He wants them to," Vladimir assured her. "I guess, again, it all comes down to patience."

"Er, thanks," Brittany responded. "Well, whatever the case, I'm really glad to be back here!"

"I believe we can all agree on that," Bailey smiled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** I'm the only previous winner in this cast, if I'm not mistaken. I guess it's a better thing to be noticed for than my looks alone, but I'm also worried it'll make me an easy target, especially early on. I'm just going to be as casual as I can with everyone starting out, and pick up the gameplay once it becomes absolutely necessary.

**Bailey:** I wonder if Brittany has noticed it, too. Both teams have one boy and one girl from each season, except for the Grand Gryphons having two boys from House Party and none from Explore Party. Now, it's very possible that none of the boys from Explore Party could or would make it since there were only three in that merge, but if you think about who one of the three is... I'm going to keep an eye on Barry and Ernie as best as I can.

**Vladimir:** Disguising yourself as someone means you need to know as much about them as you possibly can. Not only did I do extensive research into Barry's ideals and beliefs, but also his relationships with others. That story I told about why he and Rachel broke up is true, and not well-known, either. I'm not too worried about Ernie, Kiki, or Nolan trying to uncover me, but I might need to do something about Bailey. Discreetly, of course.

* * *

Cyan, Dalit, and Louise all sat at the same booth together.

"This feels like I am eating breakfast," Dalit commented.

"The lack of blueberry syrup is heartbreaking, but these are still not half bad, I guess," Cyan admitted.

"Mhm," Louise agreed half-heartedly.

"Aw, sweetie, you aren't letting what Chef said to you get to your head, are you?" Cyan frowned.

"I don't know. Every once in a while I get one of those moods where I feel like nobody but Elmer actually thinks I'm pretty," Louise admitted. "Then I wonder if he would even notice me if we didn't meet online first, and... Ah, you know."

"Why is your hair cut short like a man if you don't want people to think you're a man?" Dalit asked.

"Dalit!" Cyan scolded.

"I just think it suits me better than growing it long ever did," Louise said. "But I'd think at least that my curves would give it away."

"Hm, that is maybe true," Dalit conceded.

"Chef's just being mean," Cyan assured her. "Of course, maybe if you dyed your hair blue..."

Louise giggled. "I already get mistaken for being a lesbian enough without dying my hair an unnatural color. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but people getting surprised when I tell them I'm married to a man does get old."

"I wish my boyfriend would propose marriage to me already," Dalit huffed.

"What's stopping him?" Louise asked.

"He says that he is trying to save up for the perfect ring," Dalit explained. "When I win this game, I will buy the ring for him so he can hurry up!"

"A sapphire would look stunning on your finger, Dalit," Cyan suggested.

"Bijou says that I should try to stick closer to the warm side of the color spectrum," Dalit declined.

"Well, Bijou is wrong. Everyone should integrate more blue into their wardrobe. Including me!" Cyan insisted.

"Purple might look good on you," Dalit told her.

"Wrong!" Cyan maintained. "And don't start with the 'just think of it as reddish-blue' spiel! That's fake news!"

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Louise:** Yeah, Chef is just being indiscriminately mean and just happened to hit a nerve. I can't let it get to me. If Elmer were here, he'd tell me to ignore the insults of people who aren't worth your time. And he's right! At any rate, Cyan and Dalit are fun! I've got a good feeling about this team!

**Dalit:** Those girls already seem that they are more trustworthy than Genesis. I definitely know better than to try and boss people. I need to rely on making friends and not enemies. If I am friends with everyone, then they will not want to vote me out, and then I can win!

**Cyan:** You can't underestimate the power of good chemistry between people. I was a bit worried when I saw Irving and Lilith are also here, but they're on the other team, so they can't stop me from getting in good with my teammates. Maybe I can even align with Joseph, too, like we wanted to in Virtual Party!

* * *

Hugh had gathered Ernie, Irving, and Lilith to the same booth.

"Alright, artards, listen up," Hugh began.

"You have my undivided attention," Ernie droned.

"Look, the four of us were all big playmakers back in our original seasons," Hugh continued. "Some would even have the audacity to call us 'villains'."

"I sure as shellfish would! Gyarhar!" Irving laughed.

"And _obviously_ that's going to make us all targets!" Hugh continued. "So I propose that we band together and keep each other safe. Like some kind of League of Villains."

"Hugh, everyone knows that you're just playing up the villain card so you can normalize to yourself and others the idea that nobody likes you because you're a horribly annoying person," Lilith told him.

"Gh!" Hugh reacted. "Well, regardless, I think it would benefit us all if we were able to keep each other safe. I'll see if I can rope in the guys from Shuffle Party, too. They're close enough to villains, and that'd give us a majority."

"Well, I can't argue with that," Irving nodded.

"And you think Shadya's going to, like, listen to what you have to say?" Ernie mentioned. "She seems like a very 'my way or the highway' kind of person, ya know?"

"If she doesn't want to be an easy target for being such a huge threat, she'll listen!" Hugh insisted. "I don't see the rest of you coming up with any better ideas!"

"You could slit your throat and save us all the trouble of voting you out," Lilith giggled.

"Listen, artard, if you want any sort of foothold in this game, you're going to go along with this!" Hugh snapped. "In case you've forgotten, nobody really likes you, either!"

"Oh, I know~" Lilith bit her lip.

"If she leaves a wet spot on the seat, I'm going to keelhaul ye," Irving remarked to Hugh.

"Gross," Ernie commented.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Hugh:** Ugh, these absolute idiots! If we don't watch each other's backs, the so-called "good people" are going to take advantage of us not working together and pick us off one by one! We cannot let that happen!

**Lilith:** Hugh's so funny. Mweeheehee... He will absolutely make a wonderful ghost as it is, but I think I can use him to help spread unrest unto others as well. Like I said, everyone hates the both of us, so imagine what we can accomplish _together_~

**Ernie:** I mean, he isn't necessarily, like, wrong about how the targets could easily fall onto us, but if people like him and Lilith are going to be making big spectacles of themselves, then at least that'll buy me some time to, ya know, get a foothold in with the others, potentially. Of course, if this whole League of Villains thing somehow ends up taking off, I could just, like, ride that, too. Whatever works.

**Irving:** _(He laughs with mirth.)_ Did Hugh even watch me season?! Ye can't keep the Dread Pirate Irving on a leash! I be the captain of me own ship, I do, and me ship this season be named the Grand Gryphons! I'll do whatever suits me best, the needs of the others be damned! Gyarharhar!

* * *

Nolan and Quentin had ended up sitting at the same booth.

"You're a gambler, right?" Quentin asked. "How much do you believe in luck?"

"Luck is what you praise when things go your way or blame when they don't," Nolan answered. "I don't think there's any consistency to it. Sometimes you have good luck, and sometimes you have bad luck. That's just life."

"Interesting," Quentin nodded. "I think it's all just your outlook. And that affects other people's perception of your luck."

"I guess," Nolan figured. "Honestly, I like the thrill of not knowing where luck will take you. It's all a part of gambling. Although I'm interested in what you mean by 'other people's perception of your luck'."

"You know, when people think you're an inherently lucky or unlucky person," Quentin explained. "People usually tell me I'm lucky and think that only good things happen to me, but that's because I just don't tend to let the bad parts of life get me down. I think it's all in people's heads."

"Oh, it absolutely is," Nolan agreed. He took notice of Frita sitting at the diner bar and eating alone. "Hey, do you want to witness my very first dice roll of the season?"

"Sounds pretty important," Quentin said.

Nolan rolled a six-sided die on the table. "Alright, guess I'm doing it. Hey, Frita, want to come sit with us?!"

Frita turned to look at the boys, sighed, and complied.

"You could have sat with us all along, you know. We've got room," Quentin told her.

"I guess," Frita responded.

"Besides, I don't think any of us know the other people from our season too well," Nolan figured. He rolled his die. "And I definitely do not want to be in any sort of alliance with you two."

"That figures," Frita sighed.

"I think he's saying that because the die told him to," Quentin told her. "...You are, right?"

Nolan just shrugged unhelpfully.

"Maybe we should stick together anyway," Quentin offered. "I can definitely vouch for strength in numbers being a good strategy."

"I can't stop you from considering me an ally," Nolan mentioned. "Non-professionally, of course, I could see us getting along."

"What do you think, Frita?" Quentin asked.

"I guess there's no point in stopping you, but don't expect me to be much help," Frita sighed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Nolan:** Of course I _want _to work with them - okay, with Quentin - but I'm not allowed to tell those two that. And by claiming that I didn't want to work with them, technically I hold no obligation to if the dice take me in a different direction. We'll see what happens.

**Quentin:** Even though I don't believe in luck, a lot of people still seem to. I guess it's an easy scapegoat, but whoever lived a better life by pointing blame at everything and not looking introspectively? Nolan seems to have the right idea, but Frita doesn't seem to agree. I guess if she votes with us, she's still helping us out.

**Frita:** Reese wanted to be my friend, too. Didn't stop me from getting voted out. Just because one or two people want to reach out to you, doesn't mean everyone else is going to suddenly like you. _(She sighs.)_ I guess I'll stick with them for as long as I'm here. I don't get a lot of company in my normal life.

* * *

Isidora and Shadya wound up at the same booth.

"Having watched the previous seasons, I believe you to be the best suited to be an ally of mine," Shadya said.

"I am known for my athletic prowess. I just hope you can catch up," Isidora droned.

"You're willing to play a cutthroat game and smart enough to follow along with what I'm doing," Shadya explained.

"Those are both true statements," Isidora responded.

"I don't suppose you have any better ideas for allies in mind," Shadya scoffed. She glanced at the booth with Bailey, Brittany, and Vladimir. "They're all too weak-willed to make moves that will hurt people, and if they do, they'll complain about it." She then glanced at the booth with Ernie, Hugh, Irving, and Lilith. "And they're all proven backstabbers who can and will kick you to the curb if it would buy them just one extra round."

"What about Steve Jenkins?" Isidora jested.

"Did somebody use the Lord's name in vain?!" Steve Jenkins asked as he forced himself into the booth, knocking Isidora into the wall.

"She was just saying how much she wanted to be your ally," Shadya said.

"Tell me something I don't know," Steve Jenkins boasted. "Of course, Shady, the offer to work together is back on the table now that it's a #NewGameNewMe."

"What about you has changed?" Shadya asked flatly.

"Tch. Implying you haven't seen every episode of my vlog at least seventeen times," Steve Jenkins.

"Sorry, I only had time for fourteen each before I could make it out here," Isidora deadpanned.

"No excuses, Whoever-you-are." Steve Jenkins shook his head disappointedly.

"Regardless, you aren't even close to being my top choice of an ally," Shadya said bluntly.

"...So, I'm so far above everyone else that I somehow loop around to the other side of the list," Steve Jenkins decided.

"Okay, now you're just reaching," Shadya sighed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Isidora:** I mean, Steve Jenkins wouldn't be the first time I worked with a blond man with delusions of grandeur and bad facial hair. And Warwick is still one of my best friends to this day. I'm not expecting lightning to strike twice, though. Shadya... eh, Shadya might work, but I do want to play my own game out here, and I'm not sure she'd let me.

**Shadya:** I do have trouble deciding who else on this team is worth joining my alliance. Ernie, Brittany, or Bailey are potential ideas, but I'm not sure how thoroughly I can trust them. I suppose I'll have plenty of time until my first vote to figure it out because we will not be losing any challenges. I'll make sure of it.

**Steve Jenkins:** I mean, hey, Isidora and Shady both seem like smart enough people. I don't see why they wouldn't be avid members of the Steve Jenkins cause if I invited them to be. Shady may have turned me down before, but out here, we're the person that each other knows the most. It's basic math.

* * *

After the contestants finished lunch, the hosts led them on an on-foot tour of the rest of the city.

"Our next stop is the O'Neal Barcade!" Topher announced proudly.

"Like a bar _and_ an arcade?!" Nolan asked excitedly.

"Is introducing alcohol to the game really the best idea?" Vladimir fretted.

"We here at Total Drama care a lot about the safety of our contestants," Chris claimed. "We would never force you to do something that would harm you... unless the harm is minor enough and it's still really funny."

Lindsay felt through her pocket for her shock collar remote, only to realize it wasn't there.

"Relax, Linds, I'm mostly joking," Chris chuckled.

"I guess having your legs broken is still funny as long as it's only in the virtual world," Cyan commented to Joseph.

"These hoes will never know the struggle," Joseph tsked.

"I can be sure that I have struggled lots more than either of the both of you," Dalit objected.

"By the way, what was that big fenced enclosure we passed earlier?" Quentin asked.

"Oh, that? That's for you guys to worry about later," Chris dismissed.

"Just know that it's going to be a hell of a factor in this game," Topher enticed.

"I bet they're bringing the exile twist back from the previous All-Stars season," Isidora deduced.

"_Imagine_ the pain of your fellow teammates deciding that you should be exiled from them," Lilith grinned.

"If it's anything like the previous usage of that twist, there's probably a hidden statue of some sort hidden in there," Shadya hypothesized.

"Sounds like it's just going to, like, put more of a target on your back, if anything," Ernie figured.

"Is that possible?" Frita asked.

"If even the chance exists of someone having a statue, that'll make them a huge threat," Kiki thought aloud.

"But if someone has a statue, then they get to survive an entire majority vote," Hugh mentioned. "So it's not like you can just vote out someone who has it if you don't have a plan."

"Don't, um, worry, everyone. I will come up with a good plan," Kun told his team.

"I'm sure he will," Irving snickered quietly.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Irving:** If anyone knows the power that one free Invincibility can grant ye, it'd be me! Of course, I'd rather not be exiled from me team so soon. I'm going to need them to trust me first because they'd be dumb not to take me out at their earliest convenience! Sounds like quite the balancing act.

**Jean-Marie:** Hm, in my season, the hidden statue tripled the value of your vote. I wonder if they'll be bringing back iterations of these statues from all the seasons. I also wonder if I ought to seek at least one out. Or would that be too cutthroat? _Oh, maudis ce jeu tordu_!

* * *

The hosts led the contestants right past O'Neal Barcade.

"So, are we going to, like, stop by there, or...?" Ernie asked.

"Oh, no, only the winning team gets access to the barcade," Topher told them. "Until the merge, of course, at which point, everyone will have access to it."

"_They say all the best things in life are free, so give all your beer and your rum to me_!" Irving sang.

"Sorry, bro, but the Fighting Wyverns won't be seeing a day without having a drink with the boys." Joseph returned.

"Pfft. Sexist pig," Kiki scoffed under her breath.

"Aw, I'm sure we're invited, too," Louise assured her. "You know how guys are."

"All too well, I'm afraid," Kiki said.

"Where are we headed now?" Brittany inquired.

"Our next stop is McLean Park," Chris explained. "This will be the location where we'll meet up for challenges."

"And if you forget where everything is like I do, everybody has a map in their hotel room!" Lindsay added.

"Yeah, but you only get the one, so don't lose it," Chris warned.

"I will have it committed to memory," Shadya claimed.

"You haven't already? Slacking, are we?" Nolan teased.

"I have never slacked for a second of my waking existence," Shadya claimed.

"You have non-waking existence? Sounds like slacking to me," Quentin added.

"I will laugh when the two of you are inevitably eliminated within the next few days," Shadya told them.

"I get that a lot," Frita sighed.

"I wasn't talking to you," Shadya told her.

"Oh... yeah, I guess you said 'the two of you'..." Frita sighed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Quentin:** I think Shadya's living proof that skill matters way more than luck. She's definitely pretty scary, too. Part of me wishes we were on the same team so I could vote her out, but, actually, she probably could succeed in voting me out, so I think I'm glad things worked out as they did.

**Kiki:** I hate to be _that _girl, but I'm going to need to put together another all-girls alliance because I _know_ Joseph's going to make an all-boys alliance, and I _know_ he's going to be going after me first because I've said in the past that I've had bad experiences with men that led to androphobia. I need to strike before he can strike first.

* * *

The group stopped at McLean Park to take a breather before the tour continued. Several of the contestants ended up grouping up with each other. Kiki gathered Cyan, Dalit, Frita, and Louise over by a shrubbery.

"Is this the 'No Boys Allowed Club'?" Louise joked.

"More of a 'Women's Solidarity Movement'," Kiki claimed. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't feel safe with men like Jean-Marie and Joseph on this team, men who think of women as pawns, or 'hoes' as Joseph would so eloquently put it."

"Joseph isn't as bad as you're making him sound," Cyan claimed.

"Jean-Marie definitely is, though," Frita said. "I remember back at the Castle in the Clouds, he would always try to get me to open up, only to cringe and recoil every time I talked about something I was interested in."

"Doesn't that usually happen with a lot of people?" Dalit mentioned.

Frita looked morosely at the ground.

"Ladies! That is not women's solidarity!" Kiki interjected.

"Isn't it a bit too early to be throwing people under the bus, anyway?" Louise asked. "We've only been here for about an hour.

"Chris did not say that we _won't_ have to be voting for someone soon," Dalit mentioned. "I wasn't even in Alpha Party for a full day before I was eliminated out."

"Very well-put, Dalit," Kiki agreed.

"I'm with Louise, here," Cyan said. "There's no sense in drawing lines in the sand before we're sure we even have to vote. The Fighting Wyverns are a _team_, and we should be acting like it."

"That's right! If teammates fight, they're going to lose. That's what I always tell my students," Louise agreed.

"Well, Frita? Whose side are you on?" Kiki asked expectantly.

"Don't pressure her!" Cyan objected.

"No matter which side I pick, I'll upset someone," Frita sighed. "And yet, picking neither side with upset everyone."

"You don't have to pick a side," Louise assured her.

Frita walked over by Dalit and Kiki.

"Thank you," Kiki said proudly.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Dalit:** This game has proven itself to be full of twists and unexpectedness. It can't hurt us to have a target in mind just in case we do need to vote for someone soon. That can make it easier to vote him out.

**Cyan:** Kiki's playing really aggressively. I guess that's how she was in House Party, too, although she's definitely a lot more self-confident now. All I know is that sowing distrust between teammates is not how I want this team to turn out! That's how people like Irving take control of the game!

**Frita:** It sounded like Cyan and Louise wouldn't be disappointed in me if I didn't side with them, so if I side with Dalit and Kiki, I'll be disappointing nobody. _(She sighs.)_ I'm probably still going to disappoint all four of them somehow.

* * *

Ernie lied down on a bench, and Bailey stood next to the bench.

"It's been a while, huh?" Bailey asked. "How have things been for you since House Party?"

"Things have been, I guess," Ernie said. "I'm just trying to get through school and move out of my parents' place already."

"What are you studying?" Bailey asked.

"Law," Ernie answered.

"Really?" Bailey asked, taken aback.

"Yep. Law school's, ya know, a pain in the ass, but, like, that trial in House Party really spoke to me," Ernie said. "I really felt like that was something I could keep doing, ya know?"

"...How does it feel playing this season with your ex?" Bailey asked.

"My ex?" Ernie asked. "Oh, Kiki? We were never, like, a thing. After the game ended and we all got back home, it was pretty clear that our admiration for each other was really only just in regards to the game. We don't really have much else in common."

"That's too bad," Bailey frowned.

"Eh. It is what it is," Ernie said.

"You two," Shadya addressed as she and Brittany approached Bailey and Ernie. "I have a proposal for you both."

"This is so sudden. I haven't even met your parents," Ernie deadpanned.

"Yes, you've got the whole team in stitches," Shadya quipped.

Brittany did her best to hold back a chuckle. "Anyway, Shadya and I have been talking, and we think you two would actually make for good allies."

"Isidora is also onboard. We can get Barry as a temporary sixth," Shadya added. "Once all the tryhards have been dealt with, we can lose him."

"You want to get voted out before Barry?" Ernie remarked.

"I thought you weren't expecting our team to lose before the merge," Bailey pointed out.

"Of course not. I'm on this team, after all," Shadya said. "But this game is not always an objective barometer of capability, and being prepared can only benefit us."

"A strong alliance can take you far. But I guess I don't need to tell you two that," Brittany agreed.

"Works for me," Ernie agreed. "I'd definitely rather see us go far than, like, Hugh or Irving or Lilith."

"You were sitting with them at the diner," Shadya pointed out.

"Hugh made me. Something about, ya know, a League of Villains or something," Ernie said. "I don't foresee it bearing any fruit."

"Nevermind the fact that Irving and Lilith can't stand each other," Brittany added.

"I'd be interested in joining this alliance," Bailey said.

"Count me in, too," Ernie agreed.

"Excellent," Shadya acknowledged.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Ernie:** Hm. That's quite a lot of allies for someone who's, ya know, not trying to make any. This might be a lot easier than I expected it to be. I mean, I did sell out Hugh's dumb alliance, but, like I said and Brittany agreed, that isn't going anywhere. This alliance actually, like, could.

**Shadya:** Things are progressing smoothly, as expected. I knew that those three would be reasonable and understand that I am and will always be their most valuable potential ally. Now, on the off chance that things go awry during a challenge, I will be incredibly well-insured.

* * *

Joseph and Nolan had been playing a quick game of war with a deck of cards Nolan had brought. Kun stood nearby.

"I'm not sure I like how Kiki has all the girls together like that," Kun fretted to Joseph.

"You think she's trying to get a girls' alliance together?" Joseph guessed.

"I certainly wouldn't put it past her," Kun said. "You've known her for longer than the rest of us, Nolan, what do you think?"

"I mean, she did do exactly that right when our last season started," Nolan recalled. "Of course, being so hasty meant that she picked Lauren to work with her, someone she ultimately couldn't trust. I wonder if the same might happen here."

"They do look like they're having some sort of, um, argument," Kun deduced as he squinted at them a bit.

"Cyan's cool. I doubt she's the type to just go along with a girls' alliance for the sake of having one," Joseph figured. "Eh, then again, that's kind of what happened on the Peacocks. Then again again, I think it mostly happened like that because Cosette drew some hard lines in the sand. Maybe we should be worried about Kiki."

"It probably wouldn't hurt to talk to all of the girls ourselves to see where they're at," Nolan said. He rolled his die four times. "And I'm only allowed to reach out to Dalit. Interesting."

"So you're just... never allowed to talk to the other girls for the whole game, bro?" Joseph asked.

"Haha, no, it's not that restrictive," Nolan assured him. "It's only in regards to what I just proposed."

"He does, um, make a good point about keeping in touch with everyone," Kun agreed. "Yes, as the, um, leader of this team, I shall make it my mission to know and befriend each and every member of my team! That way I can, um, lead us to greater heights!"

"That's the spirit, bro!" Joseph encouraged.

"Why don't you play me in the next game?" Nolan offered.

"Next game? Oh, of cards," Kun realized.

"The bro code states that, when rotating players in and out of games, the winner steps down and lets the next person go," Joseph said sagely. "So I guess you will be going against Nolan, Kun."

"We'll see about that," Nolan challenged.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kun:** I know what they say about when you assume, so I don't want to make any plans against Kiki right away without, um, confronting her about this first. Making a call without, um, knowing all the details is not something a good leader does.

**Joseph:** I do kind of get Cosette vibes from Kiki, but I never had anything against Cosette. I just think she played too hard too quickly. I'm just going to enjoy the game during these early rounds before it gets to the point where you really need to start making moves and stuff.

**Nolan:** I don't have much of an impression of Dalit. I watched Alpha Party, and I followed her on Instagram once she started her modeling account on there, but that's about the extent of it. I guess the dice work in mysterious ways.

* * *

Hugh approached Isidora as she sat by herself at a bench.

"Well, it looks like our rivalry is back on," Hugh grinned.

"Hugh, what are you doing here?" Isidora asked.

"What, I can't banter with my teammate?" Hugh responded.

"I meant what are you doing here in this season," Isidora clarified. "Of all the men from Alpha Party they could have brought back who were any sort of strategic threat. Vardaman, Phoenix, even Zarardo."

"Get over yourself, artard. I was one of the first to start playing hardball," Hugh insisted.

"It's not about who does it first, it's about who does it best," Isidora said. "And you were certainly not the best."

"Well, what you think of me no longer matters. I'm a taken man," Hugh claimed.

"Right, I was hoping to avoid that topic, mostly due to my vehement apathy towards it," Isidora said.

"Her name's Kaylin, and she's way cooler than you'll ever be," Hugh boasted.

"Neat," Isidora said uncaringly.

'Oh, Huuuuuuuuugh~" Lilith singsonged as she approached the two. "Why are you projecting your insecurities onto Isidora when you could be projecting them onto _me_?"

"Of all the artards in the world..." Hugh grumbled.

"Come on, sweetie. You're a big boy now. You can say 'retards' if you want," Lilith encouraged. "Unless it reminds you of how often you were called that as a child."

"Adjfajdg! Who told you about that?!" Hugh snapped.

"Noooooooobody. You're just _that_ easy to figure out," Lilith giggled. "Surely the big bad villain of this game shouldn't be so easy to read. How unfortunate."

"Here, let me hand you a list of everyone who asked!" Hugh reached into his pocket and handed Lilith a blank sticky note.

"...You have sticky notes in your pocket?" Lilith asked. "Do you just carry those around all the time?"

"Yeah, who's easy to read now, bitch?!" Hugh boasted. He looked to the bench to see that Isidora had snuck off during his confrontation.

"Mweeheeheehee..." Lilith laughed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Hugh:** Some ally Lilith is! It's like she's going out of her way to get under my skin! I guess beggars can't be choosers. Oh, wait, yes I can! I'm the best backstabber this game's ever known! I've just got to find a suitable replacement, and all will be well with the world.

**Lilith:** Hugh is soooooooooo funny. I think I want to take him to the final two. Then he'll be soooo close to winning, only to get second to the fat loser that he hates _so much_! He might end up in so much unrest that he'd even kill himself right then and there~! _(She quivers in excitement.)_

**Isidora:** God, I can't wait to vote those two out.

* * *

Jean-Marie leaned up against the statue of Chris by himself when Quentin approached him.

"Hey. How's it going, JM?" Quentin asked.

"I am doing well," Jean-Marie told him.

"Did you want to be by yourself, or...?" Quentin asked.

"I suppose it would not hurt to have some company," Jean-Marie conceded.

"Not unless that company is a serial killer or something," Quentin joked. "Then again, aren't a lot of serial killers actually really charismatic? So, if they aren't killing you, then it could still benefit you to be in their company. Unless that makes you an accessory to murder. That could hurt your reputation."

"Are you saying I look like a serial killer?" Jean-Marie frowned.

"Nah, I'm just rambling. It happens," Quentin chuckled, embarrassed.

"May I ask you a question?" Jean-Marie inquired.

"You just did," Quentin chuckled. "Nah, what's up?"

"How did you make it so far in the game without scheming or making alliances?" Jean-Marie asked.

"Kelsey and Vardaman mostly had it covered for me, I guess," Quentin thought aloud. "And to be fair, I didn't make it that far. I'm still on the team for people who couldn't make it to the merge."

"I wonder if you're onto something," Jean-Marie said. "Winners like David and Dunstan only had a small hand in scheming, while they had allies who did the heavier lifting in that regard."

"Whoa. Did you just figure out this entire game? Nice!" Quentin complimented.

"_Non, non_, I am simply wondering how someone can win this game without playing in a way that others may deem morally wrong," Jean-Marie explained.

"That's an interesting topic, but not one that I'm so sure I can follow," Quentin admitted. "I've always had trouble keeping up with things like that. I like birds, though. Birds don't care who they're bothering, they're just living carefree lives, where they can sing and fly to their heart's content."

"That sounds like an enviable life," Jean-Marie admitted.

"Tell me about it," Quentin grinned.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Jean-Marie:** I suppose I should come right out and say it: I am homeless. My parents were aghast when they saw how I was portrayed in Explore Party. No... how I acted in Explore Party. Having me so obviously tied to _Antoine Bijoutiers_, that is to say, my family's jewelry company, was not good for business. I was eighteen years old by the time the season aired, so they held no obligation to let me continue living with them. That is why I need to win this game, and I need to do so in a righteous way. I just wish I knew how...

**Quentin:** I can tell Jean-Marie isn't in as good of a place in his life as he was when Explore Party happened. I don't think I'm qualified to be any kind of counselor or anything like that, but I could at least be his friend. That isn't so hard. I've done it a bunch of times.

* * *

Steve Jenkins marched up to Irving.

"Hey, Captain Jack! I hear you think you're some sort of badass mastermind at this game," Steve Jenkins accused.

"Calling me Captain Jack certainly won't deflate me ego any," Irving snickered.

"Well I'm just here to tell you that there's a new sheriff in town, and his name is Steve Jenkins," Steve Jenkins informed.

"So, ye fancy yourself a cowboy, do ye? I have to say, a battle between a pirate and a cowboy does tickle me fancy," Irving said.

"What? No, I'm not a cowboy! I'm Steve Jenkins!" Steve Jenkins insisted.

"I don't know who Steve Jenkins is meant to be, but I doubt he's cooler than any given cowboy," Irving claimed.

"Oh, now that's just taking things way too far!" Steve Jenkins snapped.

"Guys, guys!" Vladimir stepped in. "What's going on?"

"Seems like we've got a battle of the minds on our hands," Irving joked.

"This may be All-Stars, but only one star will shine the brightest, and his name is Steve Jenkins. Don't forget it," Steve Jenkins proclaimed.

"The stars that shine the brightest fade the fastest, they say," Irving chuckled.

"Alright, guys, there's no need for senseless arguing, especially when the game's only barely started," Vladimir frowned. "I'm not going to make you guys apologize to each other, but at least try to get along, for the sake of the team."

"I won't make any promises I can't keep," Irving said.

"I bet _that's_ not even true," Steve Jenkins scoffed.

"Heh. I guess ye really do know how cunning I truly be. Maybe I ought to be scared of ye after all," Irving said casually.

"Irving, there's really nothing gained in teasing him like that," Vladimir chastised.

"That's where ye be wrong, Barry, old chum," Irving said. "It be hilarious! Gyarharhar!"

"People like to punch up because they're just jealous," Steve Jenkins bemoaned. "Oh to live in a world where I can just like my life of perfection without being harassed for it. But people fear that which is different from them." He put the back of his hand on his forehead dramatically.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Irving:** Heh, so much for not pissing people off. But can ye blame me? That Steve Jenkins lad has his head so far up his ass that he be swimming in his own stomach. I can't imagine the lad will last too long on a team like ours, with people who actually know what they be doing. What do I have to lose by having some fun with him, aye?

**Steve Jenkins:** This game is really testing my patience, intentionally putting me on a team with a bunch of people who think they're the best! I guess I'm just going to have to prove myself to everyone, so they can all get off my back!

**Vladimir:** Haha. Obviously, having those two at each other's throats is going to benefit me more than anything. By meekly telling them to stop, not only did I seem more in-character, but it gave them the drive to surpass my attempt at authority and prove that they were above me, and each other.

* * *

The hosts led the contestants further through the city.

"Our last stop before we dismiss you is the Elimination Station!" Lindsay announced.

"Spooky," Nolan commented.

"Oh, Nolan, you haven't even _begun_ to see spooky~" Lilith cooed.

"And I hope I never have to," Nolan winced.

"Do you hear that, Frita? Nolan's _really_ put off by morbid things," Lilith pointed out.

"Most people are," Frita said. "I usually assume people are."

"Doesn't it fill you with such unrest, knowing that nobody will ever be able to relate to you?" Lilith asked.

"Yes," Frita answered.

"Atta girl," Lilith giggled.

"What will elimination entail?" Bailey asked. "Do you have any big twists to impart onto us in light of this being not only the first season in years but a season full of experienced players?"

"Where would the fun be in spoiling the surprise?" Topher responded.

"It'd only be a surprise for the first time someone goes. After that, I imagine everyone will know what the twist is," Isidora mentioned. "Word of mouth travels fast."

"Okay, then you can be patient for until then, Miss Smarty Pants," Chris snipped.

"How will I be able to bear the wait?" Ernie asked flatly.

"I know it's eating _me_ up inside," Isidora agreed.

"I, for one, have learned not to, like, mess with Chris now," Ernie smirked.

"Get a room," Hugh remarked.

"Come on, bros! Aren't you excited to be back?" Joseph asked enthusiastically.

"Ah, Isidora's just got a dry sense of humor," Quentin told him. "I'm sure she's as excited as the rest of us."

"You couldn't hear it in my tone of voice?" Isidora droned.

"I guess I've still got a lot to learn," Joseph chuckled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Isidora:** I mean, yeah, of course, I'm excited to be back, but I'm not going to expend energy expressing it in the same way that someone like Joseph would. I wouldn't have gone out of my way to come back if I didn't genuinely love this game. _(She smirks.)_ Me winning ought to prove that without a shadow of a doubt.

**Joseph:** I don't know, bro, I'm just psyched to be back! I always felt like I got dealt a bad hand the first time around, with not much I could really do about it, so this is like my big second chance. Honestly, I'm just trying to make the merge at the very least. And, of course, to have a hell of a time doing it!

* * *

Everyone arrived at the small building which led underground to the Elimination Station.

"We're here!" Chris announced.

"Is the big surprise that you did not remember to have a place ready for when it's time to vote out someone?" Dalit asked skeptically.

"Hehaha. You'll just have to lose Invincibility and find out, brah," Chris told her.

"Just know that we do, in fact, have something neat planned for when the time comes," Topher assured everyone. "Come on, you don't think we don't know what we're doing, do you?"

"Don't answer that!" Chris quickly added. "But anyway, yes, this is the last big location you'll need to know about. We'll escort you back to the motel, and then you'll be free to do as you wish until the first challenge later today. There's a big city-wide PA system, so we'll let you know when you should start heading over to McLean Park."

"I just hope we get enough time to rest our feet," Kiki mentioned.

"If your feet are already tired, then I see a bright future full of victory for the Grand Gryphons," Shadya scoffed, amused.

"We've been walking for two hours!" Kiki insisted.

"You make that sound like a long time to be walking," Shadya chuckled. She turned to Kun. "Keep her around. She's funny."

"I think you'll find that, um, my team will vote based on more, um, pragmatic reasons than what you find humorous," Kun stammered.

"No. You won't," Shadya glared.

Kun gulped.

"Oh, leave him alone," Brittany told Shadya.

Kun blushed as he stepped away from the two.

"Well, the sooner we get back, the sooner the game can really begin!" Irving declared. "Let us set sail back to the motel!"

"Aye aye!" Lindsay complied.

"Lindsay, you're a host, don't treat the contestants like they're in charge of you," Chris sighed.

"Oop. Sorry," Lindsay giggled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** Oh, darn, I hope Kun doesn't read too deeply into me stepping in for him back there. Either way, he and I are on different teams, so I can't put any sort of focus on him. I need to make sure that me and my allies get the momentum on our team. And make sure we keep it, for that matter.

**Kiki:** Eugh, I can see why Shadya's closest allies stabbed her in the back in Shuffle Party. I'd vote her out, too, if I could. If the other team isn't wise enough to do so before the merge, then I'll be happy to be the one to throw her name out there once we do. In time, of course. Right now, I have my own targets to work on.

* * *

The hosts led the contestants back towards the motel.

"Before we make it back, are there any questions?" Chris inquired.

"Are there designated times where we have to eat at the diner?" Louise asked.

"No, but if you bug Chef too often, I can't promise he _won't_ do anything spiteful," Chris mentioned. "The diner is only open... whenever Chef decides, I guess. You'll have to ask him for more information."

"Is there anywhere that's strictly off-limits?" Vladimir asked.

"Anywhere you shouldn't be able to access will be locked off," Chris said. "You can use your card key to get into places where you do have permission, like your room, or somewhere like the barcade that you've earned access to, but if you're not allowed in, your card key won't let you in."

"What if, say, someone who does have the right permissions lets me into somewhere I don't have permission to enter?" Irving grinned.

"We've got a three-strike system for that," Topher told him. "I don't think I have to explain what getting three strikes entails."

"You really can't overestimate how smart the contestants on this show can be," Chris muttered. "They'll surprise you."

"Unlike you, I have faith in my good friends, here," Topher said.

"So don't try to get into places you're not allowed. Got it," Cyan nodded.

"And don't let other people into places they're not allowed," Vladimir added.

"Both the person who let someone without permission in, and the person without permission will get a strike," Topher clarified. "So you're both right about that."

"Oh, and the first two strikes will result in penalty votes against you, so don't push your luck," Chris added. "You can let other people into your room if you really want, but that's it."

"_Je comprends_," Jean-Marie confirmed.

"Come on, when have I ever pushed my luck?" Hugh snickered.

"You push your luck so often, it's filed a restraining order," Isidora commented.

"I, for one, think pushing your luck is what makes life interesting," Nolan claimed.

"Please, um, don't break the rules," Kun told him.

The group returned to the motel.

"Alright, that's the brief tour!" Chris said. "Meet back at McLean Park in a few hours for our first challenge!"

"Understood," Bailey said.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Cyan:** I guess some places need to be closed off until they're going to be used for a challenge or something. Either way, this place is so much bigger than the VR testing facility. So it's still a lot less claustrophobic.

**Bailey:** Hm, it seems as though they are discouraging interaction between people on opposite teams with this rule about not letting people into the barcade if you've won access to it. I wonder if that extends to Blaising Tower since he mentioned it's okay to let people into your room. It didn't occur to me to ask earlier.

* * *

The hosts entered a meeting room within Blaising Tower which had a view over the city. Nelson was present, and he stood by the window, overlooking everything. Some contestants opted to stay in their rooms, others returned to the diner, others went back to McLean Park, and still others headed to Elimination Station.

"The game is afoot, everyone," Nelson smiled.

"It's good to be back, Mr. Nelson!" Topher grinned excitedly.

"I can already see cliques beginning to form. And more importantly, rivalries," Chris mentioned.

"Who do you guys think is going to win?" Lindsay asked.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm pulling for a Fighting Wyvern to win," Topher said. "I can relate to them wanting their big break after not even making it to the merge the first time. It'd be a hell of a satisfying win, no matter which of them takes it."

"Even if it was Frita?" Nelson asked. "She's only here because Kristin couldn't make it and Sorrell just flat refused."

"If Frita of all people manages to beat this entire cast, I'd say she's earned it," Topher claimed.

"That's idealistic and cute and all, but I'd be surprised if a Grand Gryphon didn't take it," Chris said. "They've already proven themselves, and I doubt any of them are going to let a team of people who couldn't make it that far beat them. Even people like Lilith or Steve Jenkins could be sleeper threats like they were in the past."

"I do wonder if Brittany will be able to make it far since everyone knows she's already won," Nelson mentioned.

"That never stopped Duncan from making it to the merge every season he was in," Lindsay said.

"But does Brittany have the killer instinct Duncan has?" Chris asked.

"If relationship drama counts as a killer instinct, then I'm starting to wonder if this show was ever any good," Topher lamented.

"This show has always been good," Nelson said firmly. "And we will continue to make it so this season. I, for one, am ready to see what happens tonight."

"I can agree with that!" Chris grinned. "Let's make this the season that reminds people why they watched this show in the first place!"

"Amen!" Topher concurred.

"Amen? I'm not Catholic," Lindsay mentioned.

The others all gave Lindsay an odd look.

* * *

**Grand Gryphons:**

Bailey - The Pragmatic Poet

Brittany - The Loyal Bombshell

Ernie - The Lazy Law Student

Hugh - The Head Villain

Irving - The Chaotic Pirate

Isidora - The Asocial Bookworm

Lilith - The Harbinger of Unrest

Shadya - The Genius Athlete

Steve Jenkins - The Vlog Icon

Vladimir - The Untrustworthy Impostor

**Fighting Wyverns:**

Cyan - The Sweet Madame Blue

Dalit - The Social Media Model

Frita - The Morbid Artist

Jean-Marie - The Homeless Frenchman

Joseph - The True Bro

Kiki - The Strategic Hipster

Kun - The Awkward Team Leader

Louise - The Friendly PE Teacher

Nolan - The Wildcard Gambler

Quentin - The Lucky Ornithologist

* * *

_A/N: And so it begins! Did you manage to predict who's playing this season? Now that our contestants have made it to Drama City and have gotten the lay of the land, the game can finally kick off! Who do you think is going to make it far? Who do you think is going to flop? And who do you think is going to go home first?_


	3. Ep 02: Transport

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay stood at the city limits of Drama City.

"Last time, on Total Drama Party with the Stars!" the three began in unison.

"Our twenty star players returned for their second shot at a million dollars!" Chris said.

"They were quickly split into two teams: the Grand Gryphons, comprised of people who've made the merge before, and the Fighting Wyverns, comprised of people who couldn't," Topher continued.

"I dated a guy named Griffin once in middle school," Lindsay mentioned. "He was kind of mean, though."

"Fascinating," Chris said sarcastically. "We gave the contestants a quick tour of the city, and of course we gave them the opportunity to get to know each other a bit."

"While some contestants seem content to take it easy during the early game, others were quick to put alliances together," Topher said. "Kun, Shadya, Hugh, and Kiki all did what they could to get a majority going as quickly as possible."

"And a lot has changed for a bunch of people, too!" Lindsay added. "Dalit's moved in with Bijou and now she's an Instagram model! But Jean-Marie got kicked out of his home and now he's a hobo! Vladimir's pretending to be Barry, and Bailey's confident enough to talk all smart without writing anything down."

"And, of course, we've got people like Lilith, Steve Jenkins, Frita, and Irving who are just kind of annoying everybody. Hehaha," Chris chuckled.

"The contestants are biding their time until their first challenge," Topher said. "And it's going to be an important one, because tonight will be the first elimination of the season!"

"Wait, I thought that was tomorrow!" Lindsay gasped.

"Nelson decided to speed things up," Chris explained. "But with less time for the contestants to prepare, it should lead to some interesting outcomes!"

"How will the alliances this season fall into place?" Topher asked.

"Who will win the challenge, and who will go home?" Lindsay asked.

"All this and more, on Total!" Chris began.

"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.

"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison.

* * *

Bailey and Brittany met up in Bailey's room.

"Yep, your room's basically identical to mine," Brittany commented. "So, what's up?"

"I'm sure you've noticed the same casting discrepancy that I have," Bailey prefaced.

"Yes, I know I'm the only winner here, but I'll be honest, I-"

"Not that," Bailey interrupted. "I'm actually referring to the number of people per original season present."

"Oh, you mean how there are supposedly five people from House Party and three from Explore Party?" Brittany asked.

"Indeed," Bailey confirmed.

"Explore Party was a small season, so normally I'd just assume that none of the men who made the merge could make it," Brittany said. "But considering who one of those men is..."

"My thoughts exactly," Bailey said.

"So, do we think it's Barry or Ernie?" Brittany asked.

"You have more experience with Vladimir than I do. I was hoping you'd have more insight," Bailey said.

"My experience with him is limited," Brittany admitted. "But if I were him, I'd do what I could to look as harmless as possible. So I think Barry is the impostor, here. Do you have enough experience with Barry to be able to tell?"

"Clearly not enough that I knew he and Rachel had broken up," Bailey lamented. "Sadly, he and I didn't cross paths much, either. But I do agree that Vladimir is more likely to make himself look like a non-threat."

"So, should we talk about this with the others?" Brittany asked.

"Let's not point any fingers until we have to," Bailey suggested.

"Good idea," Brittany agreed. "So, what do you make of the alliance Shadya put together?"

"Us, Shadya, Isidora, Ernie, and Barry, right?" Bailey recalled.

"Well, Barry's on the outs of the group, at least that's what Shadya said. I'm inclined to agree," Brittany said. "I think this group could benefit us. If nothing else, I can't imagine working with any of the rest of our team."

"They did not skimp out on bringing villains back, did they?" Bailey noticed.

"Villains make drama, and that's literally the name of the game," Brittany figured. "I mean, even Shadya and Ernie are considered big villains in their season. How much do you think we can trust them?"

"What are you suggesting?" Bailey asked.

"Oh, nothing," Brittany said truthfully. "I just want to make sure I'm one hundred percent on any alliance I'm a part of."

"I've worked with Ernie before, albeit briefly," Bailey mentioned. "I do think we should get closer with the others, though."

"Alright, then let's get out of here and meet people!" Brittany grinned.

Bailey gulped.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** I'm determined to play as loyal and honest of a game as I possibly can. Stabbing people in the back is not a feeling I enjoy, and I _know_ it's possible to win this game without having to do that. Bailey is someone who I think I can definitely trust, but I'm not as sure about the others. I'm going to need allies who I'm sure will genuinely want to work with me throughout the game.

**Bailey:** As hard as I've worked to come out of my shell, I'm still not the most social butterfly around. Being on a team of cutthroat players certainly isn't making me any more confident in my abilities out here. But I will do what I must, because Franklin is counting on me.

* * *

Kun ran up to Kiki as she wandered the streets.

"Kiki!" Kun called as he caught up to her.

"Jeez! Give me a heart attack!" Kiki chastised.

"Um, sorry," Kun apologized. "But, um, I would like to speak with you."

"What is it?" Kiki asked.

"Well, I saw you, um, gathering up all the girls on our team back at the park," Kun began.

"First of all, we are _women_, not girls. We are adults, and we will be treated as such," Kiki said. "Secondly, what, am I not allowed to mingle with my teammates? Or does that go against your iron rule over our team?"

"I was, um, just, um, making sure you, um, weren't..." Kun cleared his throat. "Making any alliances without me."

"Even if I was, I'm allowed to," Kiki said.

"So you don't, um, deny it," Kun noticed.

"You know what? No. I don't deny it!" Kiki retaliated. "You don't have any right to tell me how I can or can't play this game! If I want to make an alliance of my own, that's my right as a player in this game!"

"Well, we, um, agreed earlier that, um, well, you, me, Joseph, and Jean-Marie..." Kun trailed off.

"What was I supposed to do, tell all three of you to your faces that I never want to work with you?" Kiki scoffed.

"N-Never?" Kun frowned.

"I especially don't want to work with you now, if you're just going to keep me on a leash and tug at it every time I speak to someone without Master's permission," Kiki accused.

"I-It's not like that!" Kun panicked.

"That's how it looks to me, and it's not a good look," Kiki said. "Now please leave me alone."

Kun sighed and left Kiki alone.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kiki:** I will not have anyone walk over me. I let the likes of Lauren and Tucker bully me into submission before, but not this season! This _will_ be the season where I take the reins on my team, and ultimately take the grand prize!

**Kun:** Well, um, that's about exactly the opposite of what I wanted to, um, have happen with her. I was hoping to, um, vote out someone weak and unsociable in the event of a loss, but, um, Kiki could prove actively detrimental to my game, um, specifically. I, um, can't let that happen.

* * *

Ernie and Isidora both sat at the bar in Hatchet's Diner.

"So, Hatchet, when we asked Chris if there were, ya know, designated times we had to eat, or when this place opened or closed, he said to ask you," Ernie mentioned.

"I'm supposed to be here from 8 in the mornin' to 8 in the evenin'," Chef snorted. "Whether or not I make food for y'all durin' a time when it ain't one of the three meals is entirely up to my mood."

"Cool. Can I get, like, a piece of pie?" Ernie asked.

"What, you think I spend all day bakin' pies?!" Chef asked.

"What do you do if not that?" Ernie challenged.

"Check my phone for what's new, mostly," Chef admitted. "Did you know they got robots now? Honest to god robots."

"Does this mean no pie?" Isidora finally asked.

"I thought people with anemia are supposed to, like, eat extra healthy," Ernie mentioned.

"I can eat one piece of pie without bursting into flames, surprisingly," Isidora remarked.

"Heh. Fair enough," Ernie chuckled. "So, apparently Shadya's got us in an alliance together."

"Is that so?" Isidora asked.

"Honestly, there are, ya know, worse options on this team," Ernie figured.

"Who else did Shadya say I'm working with now?" Isidora asked.

"Bailey and Brittany. With Barry as a temporary sixth," Ernie explained.

"I guess I can work with that," Isidora conceded.

"I know you were clamoring to work with Hugh, but we have to make sacrifices here," Ernie jested.

"I'm not sure how I'll manage without him," Isidora played along.

"Honestly, I'm not even sure he's the first person I'd want out, that's how, ya know, messed up this team is," Ernie said.

"Who is your first pick?" Isidora asked.

"Probably Steve Jenkins," Ernie answered.

"I can't imagine anyone will be vehemently opposed to that," Isidora said.

"Sweet. Easy first vote," Ernie chuckled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Isidora:** I guess I do see Ernie as a kindred spirit of sorts. I'm not sure why. But, really, I could see myself working with him throughout the game. At least more so than anyone else on this team. They had to bring back Hugh instead of Warwick, didn't they?

**Ernie:** I did throw Steve Jenkins under the bus because I think he's the only one on this team I'm not even a little aligned with. Also, he's, ya know, obnoxious, but that goes without saying. Hopefully Shadya isn't affronted by me making a suggestion without taking it up with her first. That is, like, a distinct possibility.

* * *

Frita was in her motel room, drawing when she heard a knock at the door.

"Oh, it must be challenge time," Frita sighed.

She stood up and opened the door to see Quentin on the other side.

"Hey, Frita. What's up?" Quentin smiled.

"Time for the challenge?" Frita asked.

"Huh? No," Quentin responded, confused.

"Then why are you here?" Frita asked.

"I just wanted to see if you wanted to hang out, I guess," Quentin answered. "We're allies, so it makes sense that we should be good with each other, right?"

"...I won't try to stop you," Frita resigned as she returned to her bed. Quentin followed her in and leaned against the wall.

"So, you like to draw people dying and stuff, right?" Quentin asked.

"That's right," Frita sighed. "I won't show you."

"That's fine," Quentin assured her. "Although I am kind of interested to know how you got into that kind of thing."

"The fact that you call it 'that kind of thing' means you're not actually interested in knowing," Frita leered. "You're not the first person to reach out to me like this. I've seen it all before."

"Oh. Sorry," Quentin apologized. "How about we talk game, then? I'm not very good at it, but maybe you've got ideas?"

"...I don't know. I'm not very good at strategy," Frita admitted.

"Is there anyone in particular you want to see gone?" Quentin asked.

"Jean-Marie might be the least offensive option. Other than myself," Frita posited.

"I get along with him. I'd rather not vote for him right now," Quentin told her.

Frita sighed. "See, I told you. I'm not good at this."

"Do other people want to vote for him?" Quentin asked curiously.

"I don't know! It was just me and my dumb mouth and I don't know what I'm talking about!" Frita panicked.

Quentin didn't seem to know how to respond.

"Just get out of here before I embarrass myself any further," Frita told him.

"...Okay," Quentin complied as he left.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Quentin:** I figured, if I'm going to be the friend Jean-Marie needs, I might as well do the same to Frita, especially since I'm already in an alliance with her. It seems like it's going to be tougher with her since I guess she feels patronized when people try to be her friend. Hm, maybe that's where I'm going wrong. Maybe I shouldn't have to try.

**Frita:** _(She sighs.)_ I guess just one day of being out here is better than staying in my room back home for the entire summer.

* * *

Shadya stood outside the elimination building when Hugh walked up to her.

"You're curious about it, too, eh?" Hugh grinned.

"Unfortunately, the building is currently locked, and my card key won't open it," Shadya relayed.

"Well, on the off chance that we do find out what it's like in there, I've got a proposition for you," Hugh sneered deviously.

"Hm. I guess you _are_ as delusional as the show made you look," Shadya dismissed.

"Okay, hear me out, artard!" Hugh snapped. "You and I are clearly the two most threatening villains on this team. Working against each other won't benefit either of us. So I've got an idea for an alliance."

"Do tell," Shadya prompted uninterestedly.

"You, me, Steve Jenkins, Lilith, Ernie, and Irving," Hugh listed. "Steve Jenkins and Lilith are idiots, Ernie's lazy, and Irving will chomp at the bit to be in a big villains alliance. We work together to take out the quote-unquote 'heroes', and we ultimately run the game."

"You don't think I can run this game without your help?" Shadya scoffed.

"With whose help, then?" Hugh doubted. "Brittany, who can't backstab anyone without spending twelve confessionals lamenting about it? Barry, who's so actively religious that telling a lie will have him break out in hives?"

Shadya sighed. "Alright, fine, you've made your point. Count me in."

"I don't need your sarcasm!" Hugh shouted.

"I'm not being sarcastic," Shadya told him. "There aren't really many better options on this team. I'll work with you."

"Huh. No shit," Hugh responded, surprised. "Well then, it's an honor to work with you, Shadya. Let's tear this game a new asshole, why don't we?"

"I will not be doing anything so crude," Shadya told him.

"Keh. If you say so," Hugh dismissed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Hugh:** _(He laughs maniacally.)_ And who says that being a bad boy doesn't get the ladies to listen? I just got one of the scariest contestants to ever play this game in my pocket. If I can do that, I can do anything! _(He starts laughing again.)_

**Shadya:** I mostly just said that to get him off my back. The day I work with Hugh is the day I renounce every award, record, and trophy I've ever won. As if I'd waste my time working with the likes of him, Irving, Lilith, or Steve Jenkins. If it'll keep them from targeting me, then I can pretend. By the time they realize I'm not with them, they'll be in an inescapable minority anyway.

* * *

Cyan and Nolan were at McLean Park, finishing up a game of slapjack.

"You've really never played this game before?" Nolan asked.

"Nope," Cyan said. "They never allowed cards at the high school I went to."

"Tsk. What a shame," Nolan said.

"What's a shame is that you keep beating me! It's not fair because you have more experience than I do!" Cyan cried.

"Haha. Maybe I'll lend my deck to you and someone else so you can play against each other," Nolan offered.

"Maybe," Cyan said. "What do you think our first challenge will be?"

"If I had to guess, probably one of the first challenges from a previous season," Nolan said. "They re-used old challenges in the previous All-Stars, and I figure this one will be similar."

"Well, I doubt they'll be bringing back any challenges from Virtual Party. Unless they managed to get giant flying pirate ships or real dragons and volcanoes," Cyan mentioned.

"Yeah, that doesn't sound likely," Nolan chuckled. "I haven't seen any Playground of Pain equivalent around the city, either, but then again, I haven't looked very hard."

"Maybe the entire city is one big Playground of Pain," Cyan giggled.

"That might make certain challenges a lot more difficult," Nolan remarked. "I was thinking mostly of the Floor Is Lava challenge, since that was the first one."

"Actually, the first challenge in Virtual Party had us go through a city of roughly this size..." Cyan recalled.

"Whatever we have to do, we're going to have to really put in the effort to beat the other team," Nolan figured. "Sure, we have strong people like Joseph and Louise, but they've got stronger people like Shadya and Irving."

"We just need to work together, is all!" Cyan proclaimed. "...I just hope we can."

"I've gotten along well enough with everyone," Nolan said. "Actually, now that I think about it, you might be the first girl I've really spoken to so far. Kun was concerned about Kiki sequestering you guys when we were at the park earlier."

"Yeah, Kiki..." Cyan chuckled awkwardly. "Whatever you assume to be the case about her is probably true."

"Forming an alliance with all the girls to take out toxic masculinity?" Nolan guessed.

"So she really is as clear as the sky to everyone," Cyan confirmed. "You don't have to worry about me and Louise. We aren't sure Kiki's going about, well, anything the right way."

"Good to hear it," Nolan smiled. He took his die and rolled it. "This may be forward, but I've just been informed that I'm allowed to make an alliance offer with you and Louise."

"Oh, sure!" Cyan agreed. "I'm sure Louise would be fine with it. We should talk to her later."

"Wonderful," Nolan smiled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Nolan:** Yes, my dice did say that I had to reach out to Dalit specifically, and I will, but Cyan approached me, so I don't think I'm breaking my own rule. And now I have my first official alliance of the game. Cyan's a sweetie, and Louise seems cool, too. I can see this working out.

**Cyan:** I think Nolan's already got some decent connections on this team. I've seen him talking to a bunch of other people, so I think I can safely assume he'll be good to have on my side. Being on good terms with lots of people means that he'll have lots of people not voting for me. I hope. You can never be sure with this game.

* * *

Irving strolled throughout the city by himself, until he paused.

"I sense... a creepy girl who wishes to speak to me about ghosts," Irving said.

"Awwwwww, what gave it away?" Lilith asked.

"Ye smell, for one thing," Irving mentioned.

"How _adorable._ You already associate my perfume with me~" Lilith said.

"Ye be the only lass I've met what wears what smells like potpourri on purpose," Irving told her. "Now, go on about your unrest boner so I can be on me way."

"Why, Irving, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were in love with me," Lilith giggled.

"Keh? How does that figure?" Irving doubted.

"You act like you just want me to leave you alone, but I can tell you miiiiiiiissed me," Lilith teased. "Admit it: you've never felt guilty about absolutely _laying into me_. You enjoy that sense of power, maybe even of catharsis. You enjoy making others _miserable_."

"I would enjoy making ye miserable if ye weren't so obsessed with getting your feelings hurt," Irving snorted.

"...Irving, what do you make of the alliance Hugh put together?" Lilith asked.

"Hugh's alliance? Gyarharhar! He couldn't've picked a more dysfunctional group if he tried!" Irving guffawed.

"Oh, Irving. You're so funny," Lilith said. "Surely it's occurred to you that nobody else is ever going to trust us."

"As they shouldn't," Irving chuckled.

"You can't just talk your way around the fact that nobody likes you, honey," Lilith told him. "That might have worked before, when nobody knew you, or knew what they were doing, but you've got a reputation now, and these people are smart enough to realize it."

"I imagine ye picked up on this once ye realized it about yourself, then," Irving sneered.

"Oh, I always assume eeeeeveryone thinks the worst about me," Lilith smiled perkily. "All I'm saying is that, like it or not, we _need_ each other."

Lilith immediately pulled Irving in for a hug.

"What the?!" Irving choked.

"I'm your beeeeeeeestest frieeeeeeend out here~" Lilith whispered in Irving's ear.

Irving shuddered.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Irving:** Ye won't catch me dead telling that weird wench that she's right. Unless it would mess with her because it be the opposite of unrest. Still not sure. Won't risk it. She may think she has this all figured out, but she be forgetting one important factor: I be the Dread Pirate Irving! The rules don't apply to me!

**Lilith:** I hate Irving, and Irving hates me. What a wonderful, glorious, wretched pair we will be~ Mweeheehee... He may think he's still a big shot, but I don't see him lasting unless he sticks with the villains' alliance. Of course, it would be _amazing_ if his own hubris caused his downfall. Just _imagine_.

* * *

Dalit had finished fixing her makeup in her bathroom and had decided to leave her motel room. She found Jean-Marie sitting on the stairs.

"Oh! Dalit," Jean-Marie acknowledged.

"I do not want for you to speak with me," Dalit told him frankly.

"May I ask why?" Jean-Marie frowned.

"I am not the fool I once was. I know how you play this game," Dalit mentioned. "You like to take advantage of women's... how women usually think you're charming. But it will not work with me!"

"I endeavor to avoid such tactics in this season," Jean-Marie assured her. "That's the sort of thing that led me to my current life state."

"Tch. Your current life state," Dalit scoffed. "I grew up in slavery! I've never known my real parents, and never will! I spent sixteen years with no friends or family, just washing a rich bastard's feet! You grew up privileged and rich. I don't want to hear it."

"I can see that you truly do not like me," Jean-Marie frowned.

"Good, I'm glad I don't have to make it even clearer," Dalit sniffed. She began to walk off.

"So you refuse to hold _une seule conversation_ with me?" Jean-Marie asked.

"I do not speak French! I've only been speaking English for a few years!" Dalit shouted at him.

"My apologies," Jean-Marie apologized.

"I repeat: I do not want to be speaking with you!" Dalit shouted as she made her leave.

Jean-Marie sighed. "_C'est la vie_."

The Frenchman waited for Dalit to be out of sight before he stood up to leave elsewhere.

"Perhaps I should see if Chef Hatchet will allow me any more food," Jean-Marie told himself.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Dalit:** Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on you! I will not fall for the tricks of villains any further! I will not trust Jean-Marie as far as I can throw him!

**Jean-Marie:** I am used to being looked down upon for my past actions, but Dalit seems to believe that my woes are invalid due to my upbringing. That is not something I am used to. I should probably avoid Dalit from now on. _Elle a blessé mes sentiments plus que je ne voudrais l'admettre._

* * *

Steve Jenkins found Vladimir wandering the streets of the city.

"Hey, Baz!" Steve Jenkins shouted.

"Baz? That's a new one," Vladimir said.

"It's cooler than 'Barry'. Berry is what smoothies are made of, and that's kind of lame," Steve Jenkins explained.

"I like it," Vladimir smiled. "So, what's up?"

"Oh, not much, I was just curious as to why you're worshipping some intangible god that they made up thousands of years ago and not the incarnation of perfection that stands before you," Steve Jenkins said casually.

"Because I know God exists. I've felt His presence," Vladimir said.

Steve Jenkins started tapping on Vladimir's head obnoxiously. "Do you feel my presence, bro? I'm right here, in the flesh!"

"This isn't getting me any closer to converting," Vladimir notified, annoyed.

"Damn, you're stubborn," Steve Jenkins griped. "How can you be in such deep denial when I'm literally right in front of you?"

"To be honest, I'm still trying to process how you came to the conclusion that you're some kind of god," Vladimir said.

"Uh, have you _met_ me?" Steve Jenkins scoffed.

"This is the first time we've ever spoken," Vladimir pointed out.

"And how often has God spoken to you?" Steve Jenkins challenged.

"God speaks to me every single day," Vladimir smiled.

Steve Jenkins let out an annoyed shout.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Vladimir:** It is a lot harder for people who just don't have any religious experience to grasp the religious mindset. I didn't really know much, if anything, about it before researching for this disguise. It makes more sense the more you try to understand it. Of course, Steve Jenkins doesn't strike me as the type who really understands anything. _(He chuckles.)_

**Steve Jenkins:** How can one be in such deep denial when undeniable proof of my existence is right before him? It's absolutely mind-boggling.

* * *

Joseph and Louise were out at McLean Park, tossing an American football back and forth.

"Nice thinking bringing this, bro!" Joseph called out to her.

"Of course! You can easily kill a few hours if you just have a football and some friends!" Louise declared.

"I hear that!" Joseph agreed. "What do you make of the team so far?"

"It seems nice!" Louise answered. "Not as much conflict as the other team so far, from what I can tell."

"That's definitely not a bad thing," Joseph grinned.

"I should probably warn you, though, that Kiki doesn't really like you all that much," Louise mentioned.

"Kiki? I don't think I've even spoken to Kiki," Joseph pointed out. "Is that why she's annoyed with me?"

"No, she just assumes you're a douchebag because you're always talking about your bros or 'the boys' or something," Louise shrugged.

"She sounds like a hoe," Joseph frowned.

"That also probably isn't helping," Louise admitted.

"Well, I'm not changing who I am," Joseph maintained. "If she doesn't like me for who I am, then that's on her."

"Are you going to talk to her about it?" Louise asked.

"It would be the adult thing to do," Joseph conceded. "But if that doesn't work out, then we could always just vote her out."

"I guess that's true," Louise figured. "I think she has Dalit and Frita on her side. She tried getting me and Cyan, but neither of us is really into the whole 'girls only' thing."

"That's how I know that you're true bros," Joseph grinned. "Is that an alliance offer?"

"I wouldn't mind an alliance," Louise said. "We'll definitely need more than three people, though."

"Believe me, I'm no stranger to being in the minority," Joseph assured her. "Who else do you think we should get to work with us?"

"I have no idea," Louise admitted.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Joseph:** Bro, being targeted on round one is _not_ how I wanted this game to go. Especially over something so petty. It's honestly putting a pretty big damper on my mood. Man, why does Kiki have to be like that? I never did anything to her.

**Louise:** I'm not exactly a genius or anything, but even I've learned better than to let someone's alliance start picking up steam if I'm not in it. Joseph's cool, and I don't want to vote him out right now. I think the team could do without Kiki, though.

* * *

Brittany had been wandering through the city when she came across Irving.

"Ah, if it's not our big winner of the gang!" Irving grinned jovially.

"Yeah, I guess that's me," Brittany responded awkwardly.

"Oh, come now, lass," Irving said. "Ye may be trying to downplay your own skill, but nobody's forgotten that you're the only one among us skilled group of players who's actually taken the gold."

"And let me guess: you want to form some sort of secret duo between us where we protect each other because we're both such big threats," Brittany deduced.

"Ah, there be the brains ye be known so well for," Irving chuckled. "Of course, we could always get a bigger crew if it'd sell ye. Ernie and Isidora seem like a cunning enough lot, and easy enough to get along with, methinks."

"That wouldn't be the worst alliance," Brittany conceded.

"I know the likes of Hugh or Shadya would probably want ye gone sooner than later," Irving mentioned. "Let's face it: we're all here because we want to win, and nobody here wants someone to hog all the wins for herself."

"That's not fair! I'm a contestant in this game, just like everyone else," Brittany insisted.

"I don't make the rules, lass. Don't shoot the messenger," Irving said innocently. "Of course, I be well aware of how screwed up our team be. One can easily take advantage of the cracks if they want to. That's why I be offering to help ye out. I know how it feels to be on the outs simply because everyone's afraid of ye."

"That's because you're manipulative and have no empathy," Brittany pointed out. "In fact, why am I even considering this offer?!"

"Because ye know it could be your best shot at making it in this game," Irving said smugly. "I'm not trying to mess with your head, Brittany. I know ye be too smart to fall for any of me tricks. All I be suggesting is that we have each other's backs. Agreeing with me will only benefit ye, even if ye don't plan on staying true to it."

"I _am_ planning on staying true to... my word," Brittany maintained.

"I see," Irving chuckled. "Let me know when ye've made up your mind. I won't pressure ye about it."

Irving walked off.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** I've already proven that I'm capable of winning, as Irving is so quick to remind me, but I want to win in a way I can be completely proud of. I know I said I wanted allies who trust me, but I don't think Irving is someone I can trust, and I already have a pretty big alliance, so I don't think I'll be taking him up on his offer anytime soon.

**Irving:** Sometimes ye just need to be patient if ye want to plunder the valuable booty. And in Brittany's case, I _do_ mean booty! Gyarharharhar! Jokes aside, I think Brittany could be a valuable ally to have. Hell of a lot more valuable than Hugh or Lilith, that's for damn sure, and I could use me some valuable allies if I want to stick around.

* * *

Kun invited Jean-Marie and Joseph into his room.

"What's the dealio, brotherino?" Joseph asked.

"I cannot help but notice Kiki's exclusion from this meeting," Jean-Marie pointed out.

"Yes, that's, um, relevant to the topic at hand," Kun said. "Kiki has opted to remove herself from the alliance."

"...I fail to grasp how this benefits her," Jean-Marie said flatly.

"Louise told me that Kiki's got a new alliance cooking up," Joseph informed them. "Dalit and Frita, I think."

"Dalit has already declared me her enemy, so this affects me little," Jean-Marie said.

"So what we need is to rope in more people to vote with us," Kun said.

"Well, Louise said she'd be open to an alliance with me and Cyan," Joseph mentioned. "We could probably rope them in for an easy five."

"That could, um, work," Kun agreed. "Who does that leave unaccounted for?"

"Nolan and Quentin, _oui_?" Jean-Marie answered.

"That's right," Kun recalled. "I don't think we can rely on Nolan's vote, but we could talk to, um, Quentin. That would mean a clear majority."

"Worth a shot, I guess," Joseph figured.

"I think Quentin is someone I can get along with," Jean-Marie complied.

"Of course, it should go without saying, but, um, the three of us will be the, um, core of the alliance," Kun reiterated.

"Of course," Joseph grinned.

"_Tant que je ne suis pas l'un complotant contre les autres_," Jean-Marie added.

"Excellent," Kun smiled. "I really think things will, um, work out for us this season."

"Hell yeah, bro!" Joseph cheered. "We might not be the Gorillaz anymore-"

"We were never the Gorillaz," Jean-Marie interrupted.

"-but we could still be... ooh! The Beastie Boys!" Joseph suggested.

"It still sounds barbaric," Jean-Marie griped.

"We can, um, brainstorm ideas for alliance names later," Kun suggested.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kun:** Just because, um, Kiki no longer wishes to work with me, doesn't mean I need to panic. Her openly declaring war on me actually, um, benefits me, because now I can plan around it. Just so long as we can, um, trust Cyan and Louise. I ought to touch base with them soon.

**Jean-Marie:** This seems like about the most wholesome way I can keep myself safe, short of being best friends with everyone, which I don't think most of us could do, let alone me. I do worry that I've seen Quentin speaking with Frita before, so she may try to pull him into her alliance.

**Joseph:** Look, I'm just saying. Three boys in this alliance, three boys who are licensed to ill. It makes sense! Lowkey, I'm a little insulted that JM thinks he's so above my cool-ass name ideas. I don't see him pitching anything.

* * *

Bailey met up with Ernie and Vladimir at Hatchet's Diner.

"Well, isn't this nice? Kind of a House Party reunion," Vladimir smiled.

"I guess," Ernie droned. He turned to Bailey. "Is that why you pulled us both aside specifically?"

"I thought it would be neat," Bailey smiled. "It's been six years since we've been together. It reminds me of how much fun I had back then."

"I guess," Ernie conceded. "Not inviting Kiki or Nolan, though?"

Bailey shot Ernie a look for a fraction of a second before composing herself. "I figured I'd keep it within our team. I'm sure those two have their own business to attend to, their own connections to form."

"So you're pulling us aside and preventing us from, ya know, forming connections with our team?" Ernie asked.

"Come on, Ernie, don't be like that," Vladimir said. "Didn't you miss us?"

"I think we all know the answer to that question," Ernie said.

"Well, I hope everyone else knows the answer, because, to be honest, I'm a bit worried that the others may see us as potential targets because there are three of us," Bailey told the two.

"So, again, you're, like, keeping us from making connections outside of our original cast," Ernie pointed out.

"Alright, if you're going to be like that, then you can leave," Bailey said impatiently.

"Will do," Ernie yawned as he left the diner.

"I'm not sure what I expected from him," Bailey told Vladimir.

"He always has been kind of a misanthrope, hasn't he?" Vladimir said.

"I suppose, but we were able to work together last season, so I thought he'd be a bit less rude to me," Bailey frowned.

"It has been a while since we've all seen each other," Vladimir conceded. "Plus, as happy as I am to see you guys again, he has a point about making connections with the others that we don't already know."

"Perhaps," Bailey thought aloud. "In that case, our House Party reunion will just have to wait, won't it?"

"For what it's worth, it is really nice to see everyone again," Vladimir smiled. "Or at least the four who did make it."

"You mean five?" Bailey asked skeptically.

"Not counting myself, of course," Vladimir chuckled. "I see myself every day."

"Mm," Bailey half-responded.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Bailey:** I'm still leaning towards Barry being the impostor, but I wouldn't be too shocked if it turned out to be Ernie, either. I won't bring this up to anyone other than Brittany until I can be more sure.

**Vladimir:** Ahhh, I see what Bailey's trying to do. She suspects me and is trying to suss out which of me or Ernie is the real deal, and which is the master of disguise at work. How very risky of her. I wonder just what exactly I ought to do about it. _(He chuckles.)_

**Ernie:** I'm not, like, here for this to be House Party 2. I'm here to win. And I can't do that if, ya know, Bailey's got me on a leash. Bailey's, like, really starting to annoy me, ya know?

* * *

Kiki came across Quentin by himself at McLean Park, looking at birds.

"Sure enough, the house wren seems to have found its way to this city," Quentin thought aloud.

"Do they usually find their way to cities, inhabited or not?" Kiki asked.

"Oh, Kiki!" Quentin jumped a bit. "They're pretty common in Saskatchewan. They like forests, barns, and city parks. I don't know how long Drama City has been around, but it's pretty fascinating that the birds are already comfortable with it. Sort of makes me wonder if this city is really a bird habitat and we, the humans, are just visiting it."

"Surely this must have been an actual city before the show started using it," Kiki figured. "Constructing all these buildings, roads, and parks is much too expensive and time-consuming for it to have just been another Total Drama setting."

"I don't know. They built a one-to-one recreation of Wawanakwa. Plus, Pahkitew and the Explore Party island were artificial, too, right?" Quentin figured.

"Did they really never give the Explore Party island a name?" Kiki asked. "Huh, now that you mention it, I can't seem to recall it having one."

"Maybe we can ask Frita or Jean-Marie later," Quentin figured.

"...Speaking of Frita, I have a proposal for you," Kiki decided.

"Alright?" Quentin cocked his head to the side.

"I'm putting together an alliance of people I like and trust," Kiki said. "I know this is our first real interaction, but I can already tell that you lack the sort of toxic masculinity that keeps ruining reality TV. I've already got Frita and Dalit. What do you say?"

"Er, I'll have to think about it," Quentin winced.

"I suppose it is a rather sudden offer," Kiki admitted. "I do implore you to join, of course. I know there's an alliance of Kun, Jean-Marie, and Joseph out there looking to take control of the team, and we could really use your vote to deal with it."

"I'll let you know," Quentin told her.

Kiki nodded. "So, any other birds I can expect to see out here?"

"Oh, don't even get me started on the finches in Saskatchewan," Quentin began excitedly.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kiki:** I'll be honest, I wasn't looking for Quentin nor expecting to offer him a spot in my alliance, but if Cyan and Louise won't work with me, Quentin is the logical next step. I did notice him getting more hesitant once I mentioned toxic masculinity. Men don't seem to realize that that phrase does not envelop all masculinity, which is annoying. He could also have been put off by aligning with Frita or Dalit. Or maybe he's already in an alliance. Oh, that'd be _really_ annoying. I swear, if he's already chosen Kun's alliance over mine...

**Quentin:** I mean, I am already aligned with Frita, so if she's aligned with Kiki and Kiki wants me in her alliance, that would make sense. But, I don't know, Kiki telling me that I'm not traditionally masculine hit a nerve. I'm not insecure about the fact that I'm not a super manly man in and of itself, but my ex-girlfriend would always mention it so blithely that it started to feel like she was making jabs at me, and, well, long story short, now she's my ex-girlfriend. I guess Kiki probably didn't know that, but it still stung. I don't know.

* * *

Isidora read a book in her room when she heard a knock on the door.

"Hey, alliance buddy! You in there?!" Steve Jenkins' voice came from the other side.

"Maybe if I just stay quiet he'll go look for me somewhere else," Isidora muttered.

"I heard that!" Steve Jenkins shouted. "You don't get to be Steve Jenkins without god-like powers of perception."

Isidora groaned as she marked and shut her book. She opened her door.

"What do you want?" Isidora asked shortly.

"Well, I figured we ought to have some sort of plan going forward," Steve Jenkins said as he invited himself into her room. "Otherwise people are going to start targeting me for being a pretty huge threat."

"I can't deny that you being a target seems likely," Isidora droned. "So what's your plan?"

"Alright, so Brittany's already won this game," Steve Jenkins prefaced. "She may look like just another pretty face to underestimate, but a pretty face like me knows better. She's got to be wicked good at this game, too. I say we throw her under the bus. Otherwise, she's just going to slip through the cracks."

"Yeah, sure, sounds good," Isidora said dismissively. "Anyone in particular you planned to work with?"

"Well, Shady and I go way back, so she's a given," Steve Jenkins said. "I'm not sure about the others, though."

"Steve Jenkins, are you bothering Isidora again?" Shadya asked as she entered the room, as the door was still open.

"I'm dropping some major strats right now," Steve Jenkins insisted. "Get this: as soon as we lose, we throw Brittany under the bus as someone who's going to slip through the cracks and probably win a second time."

"Sure, whatever, works for me," Shadya said dismissively. "Can you leave the two of us alone? I have a... womanly issue I need Isidora's help with."

"Ew. TMI," Steve Jenkins gagged. "Alright, peace!" Steve Jenkins ran out of the room and shut the door.

"That never fails to clear men out of the room," Shadya smirked. "No matter how dense or smart they might be."

"I'd be more impressed if you weren't making me think about your period," Isidora grimaced. "Do you actually have something you wish to talk about?"

"Well, I'm putting together an alliance of people who I deem worthy to make it far in this game," Shadya said.

"Yeah, Ernie said something about that," Isidora nodded. "Us two, him, Bailey, Barry, and Brittany, right?"

"Exactly," Shadya confirmed. "Hugh also begged me for an alliance, so I said yes if only to shut him up. If he claims I'm loyal to him, know that I am not."

"Knowing him, he'd probably backstab you as soon as it was convenient for him, anyway," Isidora figured.

"He could _try_, but I sincerely doubt he could come close to succeeding," Shadya scoffed.

"Look, he's a delusional jackass, but he didn't get seventh place just through sheer luck. He does know what he's doing... kind of," Isidora reminded her. "Of course, I'd still rather get rid of Steve Jenkins first."

"Even though he seems to trust you?" Shadya asked. "Believe me, you don't have to tell me what a pain he is to be around, but genuine trust is a valuable asset in this game."

"So is my own sanity," Isidora insisted.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Isidora:** In spite of everything, Shadya is completely right about how valuable genuine trust is, and how badly I'm going to need it. Even if this alliance of six is looking good now, things can go south with little to no warning, and maybe I could use Steve Jenkins as some sort of fallback plan. Better safe than sorry.

**Shadya:** What I told Isidora is what I've been telling myself in order to convince myself that, just in case this game decides to screw me over, I could use Hugh as a potential ally. Out of respect for Isidora, I will also do what I can to keep Steve Jenkins out of my line of fire - temporarily, of course. That just leaves Irving and Lilith as potential first targets. I'm okay with that.

**Steve Jenkins:** I'm telling you, Brittany's doing what she can to lay low and look harmless, but I'm too smart to fall for her tricks. The all-discerning eye of Steve Jenkins has singled out the biggest threat in this game, and I'm going to make sure she isn't going to get away with it!

* * *

Dalit and Frita sat at a small table right outside the motel.

"I insist, if you simply brushed your hair, you would look so much more noticeable for boys," Dalit told her.

"I tried that once. It doesn't help," Frita sighed. "Besides, even if boys did notice me, my personality would put them off."

"That might be true, but a makeover did not hurt my chances of finding my boyfriend, and the same could be true for you," Dalit insisted.

"You grossly underestimate how repulsive people find me," Frita stated.

"Ladies," Nolan greeted.

"Ah! Nolan, you used to dress very poorly," Dalit began. "Tell Frita how you figured how to stop."

"Well, I hate to make it sound like my wife dresses me, but whenever I go shopping for clothes, she'll hard veto a lot of my choices," Nolan chuckled.

"I did notice your wedding ring," Dalit mentioned.

"Yeah, you remember CJ from House Party. I'm still madly in love with her," Nolan grinned. "She knows a lot more about aesthetics than I do, being an artist and all."

"Ephraim is too poor to afford a wedding ring. It's annoying," Dalit griped.

"How did a gambler and an artist end up with enough money to get married?" Frita asked.

"I mean, gambling is just a hobby. I've got a full-time job at a warehouse right now," Nolan explained. "And CJ works retail on top of selling commissions online. Even then, our apartment is nothing special."

"Pff. It sounds like you took the cheap way out," Dalit said. "I will not have my wedding be so unfortunate. I will have a grand, expensive wedding!"

"Just try not to be a Bridezilla," Nolan chuckled.

"The women in that show are grossly overexaggerated. I should know, it happened to me in my first season at Total Drama," Dalit dismissed.

"By the way, I'm also an artist, but I guess I still don't know anything about fashion," Frita mentioned.

"Be quiet, we're talking about my wedding," Dalit shushed.

Frita sighed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Nolan:** Dalit is definitely someone who isn't afraid to tell people what she thinks or what she wants. Quite the opposite of me and my dice strategy, I dare say. Cyan mentioned that Dalit and Frita are aligned with Kiki, who I'm supposed to be in opposition to, so I'm not going to make any offers, but if they make an offer, I'll let the dice answer for me.

**Dalit:** When I first left Israel, I had taken my first bath in months at the airport shower in Canada. My hair was greasy, my clothes were ugly and tattered, and I had never worn makeup before. Bijou managed to fix most of that, and in just a few weeks, I found a wonderful boyfriend. I have learned enough to think that I can do the same on Frita.

**Frita:** Honestly, I'm not even sure things would work out with any boy even if Dalit gave me a makeover. I'm in my twenties and I've never had a boyfriend before. My lack of experience would make things too difficult and annoying and awkward for him. I've already accepted that I'll die alone, so it's fine.

* * *

Hugh was walking through the streets of the city when he came across Lilith standing in the middle of the street.

"Just ignore her. Acknowledging her is exactly what she wants," Hugh told himself quietly.

"Isn't that what we all want? To be acknowledged?" Lilith whispered in his ear.

"Gahhhhh!" Hugh shouted. "When did you get so close to me?"

"Deep down, haven't you always felt close to me?" Lilith giggled. "You and I are one and the same, you know. We both like to make others _miserable_ for our own peace of mind."

"Tch. If that's genuinely what you think I'm about, then you're clearly nothing like me at all," Hugh scoffed. "I only stab backs - and fronts, for that matter - because it's good for my game."

"Noooooooooo, no~ It's not just that, silly billy," Lilith cooed. "You _love_ the feeling of playing the villain, or the bad boy, or whatever you're calling it now. You've admitted as much all the time."

"Jeez, can I not just walk to my own room without being psychoanalyzed by this psycho?" Hugh lamented.

"There's no sense in hiding from your own truth, Hugh," Lilith stated. "Hiding from yourself is nothing more than running away, and I don't know a lot of bad boys who like to run away."

"And what do you think my truth is, artard?!" Hugh snapped.

"You never really _wanted_ to be bad," Lilith claimed. "But everyone convinced you that you were bad because you would act up without really trying. And the more and more defensive you got, the more and more you proved to them that you're just as awful as they thought."

Hugh tried to walk away, but Lilith gripped tightly on his shoulder.

"Hey! Let go!" Hugh shouted.

"So you decided to double down on it. You tried to own it," Lilith continued. "That way their words can't hurt you, riiiiiiight? Wrong! You _still_ resent the idea, Hugh! You're just cowering away in the recesses of your own mind while putting up a wall to keep them from finding and hurting you."

"E-Even if you were right, which you're not, how am I supposed to spread your precious unrest if you're trying to convince me that I'm a good person?!" Hugh questioned as he tried to wrench Lilith's grip from his shoulder.

"Because you've aaaaaalways done so from the start. Weren't you paying attention?" Lilith asked. "No matter how hard you try, Hugh, you will only ever annoy, or inconvenience, or repel people~ Mweeheehee. You call it being a bad boy. You call it being a villain. When will you accept for yourself that you're just an inherently repulsive human being and always will be? Like me! Mweeheehee!"

"I am nothing like you, you whack job!" Hugh cried.

He successfully broke Lilith's grip from his shoulder and ran off. Lilith broke into a giggle fit.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Hugh:** How the actual fuck did she make it to the merge of her season, let alone be considered enough of a star to come back? She even _admits_ that she's useless and unlikeable! This chick needs to be in an asylum, not televising herself and her weird, ass-backwards philosophy!

**Lilith:** I've aaaaaalways sensed in Hugh the potential to become such an amazingly horrid ghost. So _full_ of unrest with the world and with himself~ Mweeheehee... I'm going to make sure he _loathes_ every aspect of existence~

* * *

Cyan and Louise met up in Cyan's room.

"Alright, so you trust me, right?" Cyan asked.

"Of course! You're the person out here I trust the most," Louise confirmed.

"OMG, same!" Cyan gushed. "Okay, so I've been going around and talking to people. I haven't talked with everyone yet, but I was talking with Nolan, and he offered me an alliance deal that also includes you."

"Nolan, huh?" Louise asked. "Nolan seems cool and all, but are we sure we can trust him? He makes his game decisions entirely on the roll of a die."

"He rolled his die before making the offer, and said that it decided that he was allowed to make the offer," Cyan explained. "I know he's probably not the most reliable potential ally, but it's something, and we could use something, especially since Dalit is working with Kiki now."

"Actually, I was hanging out with Joseph earlier, and we also decided that working together with you would be beneficial," Louise informed.

"Ooh, I do want to work with Joseph!" Cyan clapped. "We hated having to work against each other last season just because of how the alliances formed."

"I can relate. That's how I was with Wisdom in my season," Louise said. "But that's cool! Both of us are out here roping in more allies."

"Do you have any ideas other than Nolan and Joseph?" Cyan asked.

"I think I've seen those two hanging out with the other three boys," Louise recalled. "Quentin seems cool."

"Yeah, I'm not sure I can trust Jean-Marie or Kun nearly as much," Cyan agreed. "Although Kun might need to be a back-up plan, just in case Nolan suddenly decides he can't work with us."

"Why not just have Kun full time instead of Nolan?" Louise asked. "He can be a capable leader, in spite of his shyness."

"Because I already said yes to Nolan, mostly," Cyan admitted. "Besides, Nolan's a lot more fun to be around than Kun."

"I guess it's better than Jean-Marie who's unfun _and_ unreliable," Louise figured.

"Exactly," Cyan agreed. "We should keep an eye on our teammates. If we can suss out who's best for us to work with, we should be able to get pretty far in this game."

"I'm not that smart, but I can definitely try," Louise chuckled.

"The game is a great blue ocean, just begging to be explored!" Cyan proclaimed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Cyan:** I think Louise and I are in a perfect position right now, because I can't imagine either of us is going to be anyone's first targets with the way the lines have been drawn. We just need to make sure we're not _too_ blatant with playing the middle, and we should be all but guaranteed to actually make the merge this time! ...I hope I didn't just jinx it.

**Louise:** I'm still not so sure someone as unpredictable as Nolan is going to make for a valuable ally, but if he swears to Cyan that he wants to work with us, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. I am liking the Joseph and Quentin angles, though! Those two seem cool to work with.

* * *

The contestants met up with Chris, Topher, and Lindsay in McLean Park.

"Are you guys ready for your very first challenge of the season?!" Chris asked excitedly.

A handful of contestants clapped and cheered.

"Which season's first challenge have you decided to pastiche?" Shadya asked expectantly.

"We haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about," Topher claimed.

"Plus, pistache is my least favorite kind of ice cream," Lindsay added.

Chris and Topher glanced at Lindsay for a second.

"Yes, even more than black walnut, okay?!" Lindsay doubled down.

"There is black ice cream?!" Dalit asked, surprised.

"It's not actually black," Brittany explained.

"Then they should stop with calling it black. That is very so confusing," Dalit huffed.

"This is all extremely hilarious, but if we could get back to the challenge," Chris droned.

"Maybe our guest will catch their attention!" Topher grinned. "For the first challenge of the season, we've brought in the first person voted out of the Party era of this show to help explain!"

"Spankety spankety spankety!" A clown peeked out from behind Chris and then handspringed away from him and in between Topher and Lindsay.

"Aw, geez, why her?" Ernie complained.

"Specifically to annoy you!" Spankety answered cheerfully. She honked a clown horn with a big dumb smile on her face.

"Great to see you again," Kiki smiled.

"And it's _grate_ to be back!" Spankety began grating a block of cheese over Kiki's head.

"Where is she, um, getting these props?" Kun asked Nolan.

"You got me," Nolan admitted.

"Anyway!" Spankety threw the cheese and the grater off to the side. "For today's challenge, you're going to have to transfer a big huge wagon from the garage it's in all the way over to another garage way across town, all while making stops to get some crates along the way!"

"Sounds like a pretty physical challenge," Louise grinned.

"Jubilation," Isidora deadpanned.

"The starting garages are south of Hatchet's Diner, and your final destination is south of the elimination building," Topher continued.

"The wagons will also come with a map telling you where to find the crates as well as the destination garage," Chris continued.

"You're going to have to find the starting point on your own, though," Lindsay mentioned. "But hey, we did already give you a hint!"

"The team that gets their wagon and crates into the second garage first will win Invincibility!" Spankety announced. Her face went serious. "The losing team will have to force one of their own to know the misery of coming all the way out here only to leave before the day is over."

"That will not do again!" Dalit promised.

"Heehee. Have fun!" Spankety beamed.

She backflipped into a nearby bush, which enveloped her completely.

"And with that..." Chris began. "Your challenge begins now!"

The twenty contestants all ran to the west.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Shadya:** This challenge could not be better suited for me. Strength and endurance will be required, of course, but also planning and leadership, which are also gifts of mine. My only real obstacle will be people like Ernie and Isidora who think they're above physical activity.

**Kun:** Oh boy, my first, um, challenge as the leader of the Fighting Wyverns. At the very least, I can tell that my team really wants to win this, so, um, it shouldn't be too difficult to motivate them.

**Irving:** Why, this challenge be little more than sailing me grand ship across the area, picking up loot as we go along! And I guess me crew will also be there, too, but let's be honest. Everyone remembers Blackbeard, but who could name any of his crew? Keheheh.

**Dalit:** I will not be allowed to be the first person to be voted off again! I will have to make sure that we win this challenge! And every other challenge, for that matter, but this is the most important one!

* * *

The two teams arrived at the garages they were pointed towards. One of them had an orange gryphon spray-painted on the door, and the other had a purple wyvern spray-painted on the door.

"Irving! Help me open this door!" Shadya ordered.

Irving and Shadya both grabbed onto the handle near the bottom of the door and used their collective strength to lift the door open seamlessly. This revealed a massive orange wagon, about seven feet tall with wheels about three feet in diameter.

"We're supposed to be dragging _that_ thing across the city?!" Hugh gasped.

"It has wheels, so it shouldn't be as difficult as it looks," Brittany assured him.

"It's probably still going to be, like, pretty heavy, though," Ernie mentioned. "Cars have wheels, too, ya know?"

"Where is the map that Chris mentioned?" Bailey asked.

"Probably in the wagon," Isidora deduced. "Here, someone help me up."

"I got you," Vladimir complied.

He let Isidora use his hands as a step in order to boost her up to be able to grab onto the wagon and pull herself up.

"Geez, I haven't done anything physical in a while," Isidora panted. "Anyway, I have the map."

"Where are we headed, lass?" Irving asked.

"We're all headed to the deepest pits of despair~" Lilith giggled.

"You guys start pushing the wagon. I'll direct you," Isidora said.

"No, you will get out of the wagon and help us push," Shadya leered.

"If 115 extra pounds is really weighing the wagon that noticeably, I'll get down," Isidora conceded. "But don't expect me to contribute much to pushing. Keeping up the pace on foot is going to be exhausting enough."

"We don't have time to lose, guys! The other team's already setting out!" Steve Jenkins alerted everyone as the Fighting Wyverns began pushing their wagon out of their garage.

"Damn. Let's get going, everyone!" Shadya ordered.

The nine Grand Gryphons who weren't in the wagon took to either side of the wagon and began pushing it out of the garage.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Isidora:** Of course we had to start with perhaps the most physically-oriented challenge I've ever had to partake in. I'm still going to do whatever I can to help, even if it doesn't fit perfectly in line with Shadya's picture of what she wants to have happen.

**Vladimir:** I have to say, Shadya's doing an excellent job making sure she stands out among the crowd. That's not really what I would consider a good strategy for the early game of Total Drama. If you stick in people's minds, it'll be easy for them to single you out, you know.

* * *

The Fighting Wyverns had already begun pushing their similarly-designed wagon through the streets.

"Keep it moving at, um, a steady pace," Kun told his teammates as he helped them push. "We don't want to burn out before the, um, end."

"Alright, guys, the first crate is just around the corner of the big scary Exile place that's gated off," Quentin said as he followed behind the wagon with the map in his hands. "Are you sure you don't need me to help push? I wouldn't mind."

"We should, um, have you take it easy, in case someone needs to take a break," Kun explained. "That way you can fill in for them."

"Makes sense to me," Quentin agreed.

"Alright, everyone! We've got a lead on the other team, so let's make sure it stays that way!" Louise encouraged.

"You heard the coach!" Cyan chimed in.

"That's, um, that's going to get us burnt out, and..." Kun stammered.

"Put a sock in it. Louise is an actual PE teacher. She knows what she's doing," Kiki told him.

Kun sighed.

"You will have your time. _Ne t'inquiète pas_," Jean-Marie assured him.

"Kind of strange that they've got the two teams going in different directions, isn't it?" Joseph commented.

"They probably expected us to be more focused on sabotaging each other than actually doing the challenge," Frita said.

"Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if that was a big factor," Nolan mentioned.

"Anyone who needs to do sabotage to win doesn't deserve winning!" Dalit claimed. "I still can't believe Genesis won Alpha Party after destroying my chance and others's chances too with lies!"

"You can't deny its effectiveness," Nolan smirked.

"You also cannot deny that it makes others mad at you," Jean-Marie mentioned.

"You would know," Kiki said.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kiki:** I relate deeply to Dalit's plight. Just when I had finally summoned up the courage to start talking to the men on my team, they suddenly decided to team up with the sexual predator and vote me out! And, much like Genesis, one of my backstabbers ended up winning the whole thing. Maybe Dalit and I have even more in common than I thought.

**Nolan:** _(He is flipping a coin repeatedly.)_ Honestly, I thought we were long past the idea of deceit being frowned upon in games like this. It's standard gameplay at this point. Kind of like in poker. I guess Dalit has only lived in Canada for a few years, so I can forgive her for not knowing. The others don't have that excuse. Although, I'm still not sure what Jean-Marie's current deal is. It's probably none of my business.

* * *

The Grand Gryphons had just turned at their first corner to find their first crate.

"Can you help get it up there on your own?" Brittany asked Isidora.

"How many people can lift it?" Isidora asked.

Shadya attempted to lift it on her own and was able to do so, albeit with evident trouble.

"Here, someone help me up onto the wagon. I'll help Isidora take the crates," Brittany offered.

"I've got you," Vladimir offered.

Much like before, he used his hands as a stepstool for Brittany to pull herself up onto the wagon.

"Speaking of help, Shady, let me take the other end of the crate," Steve Jenkins offered.

"If it will speed us up, fine," Shadya relented.

Steve Jenkins took the other end of the crate, distributing its weight between the two of them, as they carried it up to the wagon. Brittany and Isidora each grabbed onto a side and pulled it up onto the wagon.

"Where to next?" Ernie asked.

Isidora read the map. "Somewhere we haven't been before. I'll guide everyone."

"Brittany, get back down here and help us push the wagon!" Hugh called. "We're going to need everyone's help thanks to the extra weight of the crate!"

"Oh! Right," Brittany agreed as she let herself back down onto the ground.

"Sooooo, you're taking orders from Hugh, now?" Lilith asked Brittany as everyone began pushing the wagon.

"I mean, he isn't wrong about the extra weight," Brittany mentioned.

"It'd do ye best to just ignore her, lass," Irving suggested. "Attention is what she craves."

"You're one to talk, Mister Pirate," Lilith giggled.

"Should we separate those two?" Bailey asked Shadya from the other side of the wagon.

"As long as we're getting this wagon to where it needs to be, I don't care if they fight," Shadya stated.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Steve Jenkins:** I mean, with my almighty strength, I'm not sure one extra person pushing the wagon will make much difference, but if anything, that's just going to prove how much we don't need Brittany on this team. See, I _am_ a genius!

**Bailey:** I've never been a very confrontational person, so I have always had trouble understanding how and why people are so quick to taunt each other, or form arguments between one another. It isn't beneficial in any particular way.

* * *

The Fighting Wyverns had just finished loading their first crate onto their wagon and had begun pressing on.

"The next crate is in this big green area kind of to the southwest of here," Quentin relayed as he read the map.

"Southwest? We're about as west as we can be," Jean-Marie mentioned.

"Right, I meant southeast," Quentin corrected himself. "I always get east and west confused."

"So should we keep going straight until you tell us where to turn?" Kiki asked.

"Seems like it," Quentin answered.

"'Seems like it' or 'Is like it'?" Kiki asked impatiently.

"Here, Quentin, why don't you, um, let Kiki take over on reading the map, and you can, um, help us push?" Kun suggested.

"Works for me," Kiki agreed as she let go of the wagon and walked up to Quentin.

"Oh, uh, okay," Quentin complied as he handed the map to his teammate without a second thought. He took Kiki's spot at the wagon and helped the others push.

"We can't slouch, everyone! We need to prove that we deserve this second shot!" Louise encouraged.

"Hell yeah! Push! Push!" Joseph agreed.

"We are pushing," Nolan mentioned, annoyed.

"Push harder!" Joseph insisted.

"If we could be pushing harder, we would be!" Dalit snapped.

"The human body will not allow itself to reach its full capacity because it wants to avoid hurting itself," Frita claimed monotonously. "Plenty of my drawings involve... Never mind, you guys don't want to hear it."

"Alright, guys, the next crate isn't too far from here," Kiki explained, only glancing back at the map occasionally. "There's going to be a big field south of O'Neal Barcade, not too far from here. It's going to be there."

"Got it! Thanks, Kiki," Louise complimented.

True to Kiki's word, the field in question took little time for the team to reach. Not only was the burgundy crate intended for the Fighting Wyverns easily visible not far from the group, but off in the distance, one could barely make out the gold-colored wagon of the Grand Gryphons retrieving a similar crate, also painted gold.

"Is that the other team?!" Cyan gasped.

"Where?" Quentin looked around the immediate area.

"On the other side of the grass, imbecile," Dalit scolded.

Joseph pulled himself up onto the wagon. "Alright, hand me the box, bros!"

Jean-Marie, Louise, and Nolan all hoisted the crate up and carried it over to Joseph. He managed to retrieve the box from his teammates and pushed it towards the back of the wagon.

"Alright! Let's go!" Joseph encouraged.

"Y-Yes, let us proceed!" Kun attempted.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kun:** It seems as though my, um, voice of leadership isn't really getting through to the others. People like Louise, or Joseph, or Kiki seem to be commanding my team without a second thought, and nobody seems to, um, notice or care that it is not their team leader doing so. That's very troubling.

**Louise:** I think we're about neck and neck with the other team. I, for one, refuse to have someone who didn't make the merge in their first season going home first! That just defeats the entire purpose of our team!

* * *

The Grand Gryphons had loaded their second crate into their wagon and had pressed on.

"Okay, the last crate looks like it's going to be inside one of the buildings," Isidora relayed to her team as she read the map from on top of the wagon.

"That really narrows it down," Hugh snarked as he looked around at the street full of nondescript buildings.

"Are there any particular landmarks we should keep an eye out for?" Vladimir asked.

"...Our building is shorter than the two buildings to either side of it," Isidora said, sounding as if this was the best possible answer she could give.

"I trust Isidora will know when we're in about the right area," Brittany assured the rest of her team.

"If nothing else, we're still heading towards the final destination, so we won't have to make up too much ground if we pass it," Bailey figured.

"Unless the other team doesn't pass theirs, and that costs us the lead," Shadya mentioned.

"You hear that, Isidora? You'd better pay attention, or you'll singlehandedly cost us the win~" Lilith swooned.

"I'll keep an eye out," Isidora said flatly.

"The rest of you should probably, like, keep an eye out, too," Ernie suggested.

"'The rest of you'? Don't you mean 'the rest of us'?" Hugh sneered.

"_Someone_ has to keep all their focus on pushing the cart," Ernie claimed.

"Bullshit! You just can't be bothered to pay attention to your surroundings," Hugh claimed.

Ernie shrugged unhelpfully.

"Good thing I'm on the team. I can pay attention to at least three things at once. You know, because I'm Steve Jenkins," Steve Jenkins boasted.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Irving asked from behind Steve Jenkins.

"Five," Steve Jenkins guessed without looking behind him.

"I'm pushing the cart, ye nonce!" Irving laughed.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Steve Jenkins shouted indignantly.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Ernie:** I think our team is, like, a lot more physically oriented than the other team, so I can afford not to put 100% into every challenge. Actually, I think we have a lot more mental threats than they do, too. I guess that's what'll happen when, ya know, all of us made the merge and they didn't. Heh heh.

**Brittany:** I think the Gryphons do overall have more skill than the Wyverns, but I don't know if that will mean as much when there are so many big egos conflicting against each other. That was Team Weed in a nutshell, and I know the signs. I wonder what Jean-Marie's doing over on the other team. He and I haven't really been able to talk yet.

* * *

"This is the one!" Kiki announced as the Fighting Wyverns' wagon arrived in the vicinity of the building that her map said contained a crate.

"The single-story one here?" Cyan asked.

"Bro, that's easy!" Joseph beamed. "Let's go!"

Kiki handed the map off to Kun before the boy could go into the building. "You take it easy."

"As the, um, team leader, 'taking it easy' is the exact opposite of- you're not listening. Please..." Kun sighed as Kiki ignored Kun's words and ran into the building with her teammates.

"There are double doors, so we can easily get the crate from in here to out there," Nolan noted from within the building, which looked to be nothing more than a warehouse with only a few empty shelves and the big crate within. "But two of us will need to hold those doors open."

"Who needs to rest their muscles?" Louise asked.

"Would you guys mind terribly if I...?" Frita trailed off.

"I should also be not lifting right now," Dalit offered.

"Then the rest of us should be able to carry the crate easily," Jean-Marie said.

"Alright, let's do it!" Quentin agreed.

Cyan, Jean-Marie, Joseph, Kiki, Louise, Nolan, and Quentin had no trouble picking up the heavy crate and carrying it out through the doors that Dalit and Frita held open. Outside the building, Kun had hoisted himself onto the wagon, waiting to help pull the crate up onto it.

"Is he going to be able to help it up there by himself?" Cyan asked, concerned.

"I can help him!" Quentin offered.

He let go of the crate, suddenly bearing his share of weight onto his teammates. Kiki was not able to hold on, and she let go, forcing the weight she was holding onto the others.

"Hey! Quentin!" Kiki scolded. She took a deep breath and returned to her part of carrying the crate. "Warn us next time!"

"Sorry," Quentin frowned.

"Don't, um, worry about her," Kun suggested. "We're ready when, um, you are!" he called to his teammates.

"I'm not sure I can hold on much longer. _Dépêchons-nous_," Jean-Marie mentioned.

The group carried the heavy box over to their wagon and held it up for Kun and Quentin to take. The two boys were both able to muster enough strength between them to get the crate onto the wagon.

"Alright! Now we just need to get it into the second garage!" Louise encouraged.

"It's the final stretch. Let's put in everything we've got, bros!" Joseph added.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Quentin:** Man, this has not been my challenge. See, if you need proof that there's no such thing as being a lucky or unlucky person, look right here. I just hope things don't go to the worst-case scenario...

**Frita:** I think this challenge is the most exercise I've ever gotten in my life. I feel... weirdly excited. It's probably just because my heart is beating too fast. My brain thinks that's excitement because that only happens when I get really into a drawing.

* * *

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay all waited in a building near the two destination garages. The room had little more furnishing than linoleum floors and a table and chairs within it. A window provided their view of the garages.

"Are they there yet?" Topher groaned as he played a game on his phone.

"It's a challenge for a reason," Chris shrugged as he poured himself some coffee. "I am eager to get the important parts of this round going, though."

"Is the challenge not important?" Lindsay asked. "Isn't it what determines everything else?"

"It's a part of it, I guess," Chris figured as he sat back at the table. "It's not the interesting part, though. Just kind of a necessity."

"What if there was a season with no challenges?" Topher smirked shrewdly. "Wouldn't that be interesting?"

"Eh, maybe," Chris said.

"Come on, you can't tell me that's not a little interesting," Topher insisted. "If nothing else, it's cost-effective."

"Talk to Nelson about it, I don't know," Chris dismissed.

"It looks like they're here!" Lindsay announced as she stood up and pointed to the window.

Sure enough, one of the teams had arrived at their garage. The contestants threw open the door, and the others pushed their wagon into the garage.

"Well, there we go," Chris smirked. "Come on, let's go announce the results!"

The three made their way out of the building and ran up to the garages.

"Congratulations!" Topher told the winning team.

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"We won?!" Louise gasped excitedly.

"Yep. The Fighting Wyverns will be safe tonight!" Spankety confirmed as she leapt out of one of the crates.

"What the hell?!" Joseph jumped. "Was she there the whole time?"

"Excuse me?!" Shadya snapped as the Grand Gryphons just approached the garage.

"Sorry," Lindsay offered sympathetically.

"I will escort the Grand Gryphons to the Elimination Station," Chris said. "Topher and Lindsay, you know what to do."

"I'm calling bullshit on this," Steve Jenkins griped. "I understand the temptation to rig it so that I, Steve Jenkins, look more like a rootable underdog, but losing is not the Steve Jenkins way of life! There's a reason my middle initial is W!"

"It is?" Vladimir asked.

"At any rate, if you guys will follow me," Chris told the Grand Gryphons.

Chris headed north, towards the Elimination Station. The losing team reluctantly followed him.

Topher and Lindsay turned to the Fighting Wyverns.

"You guys aren't dismissed quite yet!" Topher told them. "Because, as the winning team, you all still have an important decision to make!"

"We won! We should not have to be voting someone out!" Dalit snapped.

"Don't worry, this is a good vote," Lindsay assured her.

Topher pulled some small pieces of paper and pens from his pockets. "I want each of you to vote for who you think did the best in the challenge, and who you think did the worst. The only rule is that you can't vote for yourself."

"What if the same person gets the most votes for best and worst?" Nolan asked.

Topher looked to Lindsay unsurely, hoping she might have an answer. He looked back to the Fightin Wyverns. "Don't," he instructed them.

Topher began to pass out pens and papers to the ten winning contestants.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Nolan:** I'm just saying, there's a real possibility that five of us could choose one person as the best, and the other five could choose that same person as the worst. In fact, the same arrangement of people could also pick someone else as their worst or best respectively. And then what? Sounds like a pretty big oversight.

* * *

The contestants all handed their filled-in slips of paper to Topher and Lindsay.

"Alright, we've counted everything up!" Topher announced.

"Just get the worst over with," Frita sighed.

"I think we're supposed to do the best first," Lindsay told her.

"The person who was voted as the best contributor to the challenge..." Topher began.

...

...

...

...

...

"Kiki! Congratulations!" Topher announced.

"Oh, wow! Really?" Kiki smiled.

"Yes, really!" Topher confirmed. "It was close, but you managed to get the majority vote! This means that you will have access to the penthouse of Blaising Tower! This is effective until the next time someone wins access to the penthouse."

"Oh, awesome!" Kiki grinned. "Thanks, everyone!"

"And then... there's the person who was voted as doing the worst," Topher snickered.

"This one wasn't as close," Lindsay admitted.

Before Nolan could speak, Topher piped up. "And no, it wasn't Kiki! It was, in fact..."

...

...

...

...

...

"Quentin, sorry bro!" Topher announced.

"O-Oh," Quentin frowned. "I guess I made the odd mistake or two, but... I guess you guys had to pick someone, huh?"

"Nothing personal," Cyan assured him.

"For being decided as the worst contributor, Quentin, you will be spending your time in Isolation Park until it's time for the next challenge!" Topher declared.

"Next challenge?!" Quentin gasped.

"That's pretty extreme," Joseph commented.

"Such is the price of falling behind, I'm afraid," Topher said.

"It won't be that bad! If you find a unicorn there, you'll get three wishes granted!" Lindsay assured him.

Topher drew his hand across his neck in a 'cut it' motion before anyone could say anything.

"I'll take you to the park," Lindsay told Quentin.

"The rest of you are dismissed!" Topher told the rest of the team.

"Hey, wait a minute, where did Spankety go?" Kiki asked.

"The world may never know..." Nolan said wistfully

Spankety chuckled from within the building where the hosts had been waiting.

* * *

**Votes:**

**Best:**

Kiki - Frita, Jean-Marie, Louise, Quentin

Louise - Dalit, Kiki, Joseph

Joseph - Cyan, Kun

Frita - Nolan

**Worst:**

Quentin - Cyan, Dalit, Frita, Jean-Marie, Joseph, Kiki, Louise

Frita - Quentin

Kiki - Kun

Jean-Marie - Nolan

* * *

Chris and the Grand Gryphons arrived at the Elimination Station building. He led them all into the singular room, and then pressed the elevator button.

"What the?!" Hugh gasped.

"An elevator going down. Interesting," Shadya sniffed. "Any particular reason that eliminations take place underground?"

"Because it's cool. And we can," Chris shrugged proudly.

"I've heard worse reasons to build an elevator," Ernie figured.

"Like what?" Brittany asked.

"Elevator shafts are very good, like, hiding places," Ernie explained. "And there are lots of things that people are going to want to, ya know, hide."

"Like booooooooooodies?" Lilith asked.

"I was thinking more about drugs, but I guess, ya know, bodies work too," Ernie told her.

The elevator arrived at its destination, and the Grand Gryphons bore witness to the starry-decorated room.

"Shiny," Isidora commented.

"If everyone will take a podium," Chris coaxed.

Everyone took a spot at one of the eleven podiums stationed in the center of the room, each with a small blue light facing the center of the circle. Chris sat in a high-rise chair nearby.

"We seem to have one too many," Bailey noticed. "Was this going to be a cast of twenty-two, and two people had to bow out?"

"It is a mystery," Chris said unhelpfully. "Anyway, you guys will have half an hour - or until you all cast your votes - to have an open discussion on who you want to see voted out. I'm sure you've noticed the touch screens on your podiums. At any point in this elimination ceremony, you can use that to cast your vote. Just know that, once it's been cast,"

"Har! I be used to taking risks that I know can't be taken back! Bring it on!" Irving laughed.

"Then vote right now," Isidora challenged.

"Alright. Remind me of your name again?" Irving sneered.

"Hugh," Isidora answered.

Irving tapped on the touch screen. "Alright, I voted for Hugh!"

"H-Hey! Tell me you didn't actually!" Hugh snapped.

"Relax, ye lily-livered lout. I didn't really vote," Irving chuckled.

"Or diiiiid he?" Lilith brought up.

"Chris, how are we supposed to discuss this kind of thing in front of everyone?" Vladimir asked nervously. "Even if someone does throw out a name, that person is right there."

"Exactly! Hehaha," Chris chuckled. "You're going to have to play hard if you want someone out that badly. This is All-Stars, after all!"

"Thankfully, I have full confidence that the choice I will be making is the correct one," Shadya stated.

"Whaaaaat's thaaaaaaaaaat?" Lilith giggled.

"You," Shadya said point-blank.

"_Me_?" Lilith asked. "Mweeheeheeheehee! You're so _funny_, Shadya~"

"That's a sentence that I doubt has ever been spoken before," Isidora commented.

"Lilith is not particularly skilled in challenges and has demonstrated nothing resembling an attempt to connect with me," Shadya explained. "By a show of hands, who also feels as though Lilith hasn't made a real attempt with you?"

Bailey, Brittany, Ernie, Isidora, and Steve Jenkins all raised their hands.

"To be fair, I have actively gone out of my way to avoid her, on account of her being a massive lamer," Steve Jenkins made clear.

"Hey now, is it really fair to be ganging up on Lilith like that?" Brittany asked.

"I think I can say without a shadow of a doubt that you do not have any better options," Shadya said.

"Now _that_, I can't agree with," Irving chuckled.

"Oh, my _hero_~" Lilith swooned.

"Don't mistake this for me being able to tolerate ye," Irving scowled. "But methinks I can name a name that may yet be more preferable to us as a team."

"What's that?" Bailey asked.

"Well, I guess for the sake of technicality, I don't actually know his name," Irving said.

"That's going to, ya know, make it harder to call him out," Ernie droned.

"Or Irving could just point," Brittany mentioned.

"Oh, I know the name he wishes to be called. I know two of them, in fact," Irving chuckled.

Bailey's eyes lit up. "I think I know what you mean," she said.

"Just spit it out already!" Hugh shouted.

Irving dramatically pointed his finger in Vladimir's direction. "This man is a fraud!"

"M-Me?!" Vladimir gasped.

"I propose to the court that the man who has called himself Barry is, in fact, our good friend the master of disguise from Total Drama Explore Party!" Irving continued.

"You watch, like, too many courtroom dramas," Ernie claimed. "God, I _wish_ it was actually that exciting."

"So you caught on, too?" Brittany asked Irving.

"I assumed everyone had," Irving chuckled. "I just wanted to be over-the-top for a minute."

"Just a minute?" Isidora doubted.

"Even if that is Vladimir, as you claim, what difference does it make?" Shadya asked. "He contributes to challenges, and, more importantly, isn't annoying beyond belief."

"I'm not Vladimir, by the way," Vladimir mentioned. "I'm the real Barry Flynn."

"Then prove it, artard!" Hugh challenged.

"Like, what, tell you something only I would know?" Vladimir asked. "Uh, my favorite Bible verse is Matthew 6:34. 'So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today'."

"What a horrid passage," Lilith pouted. "I think everyone can stand to worry a lot more! Worry about so so so much! Tether your anxiety to this Earth, that you may wander as a ghost foreeeeever and ever~!"

"Steve Jenkins will leave a legacy that will carry on for millennia to come! I don't need to be a ghost to do that!" Steve Jenkins promised.

"We're getting off-track!" Shadya insisted. "There is no good reason to keep Lilith over Barry, or Vladimir, or Tom Selleck, or whoever that is!"

"Tom Selleck?" Brittany asked.

"I bet she thinks about him a lot," Hugh snickered. "Daddy issues, remember?"

"That wasn't necessary," Bailey scolded him softly.

"_You're_ not necessary!" Hugh snapped.

"Well, let's look at this from the perspective of whether or not we should, like, vote for Barry," Ernie decided. "Obviously, Irving, ya know, felt confident enough that it was a good idea that he made it public."

"Ernie! There is no reason to do that!" Shadya insisted.

"If you keep getting defensive, it won't look good in front of a jury," Ernie told her. "Or, I guess it'd be the rest of the team in this case. The point stands."

"I'm with Shadya, here," Vladimir chuckled awkwardly. "No offense, Lilith, but I just don't see us working together, you know?"

"It'll be hard for that to happen when you're eliminated," Lilith giggled. "At least, that's what I'd be saying if I was voting for you."

"Oh, uh, thanks?" Vladimir accepted, confused.

"So, wait, someone offered a name that isn't yours as a feasible target, and you're still going to be difficult?" Isidora asked.

"Mweeheehee," Lilith giggled.

"Cool, just checking," Isidora said.

"I think the best target is clear as day," Lilith said. "Why, I'm surprised no one else has brought it up."

"Stop being vague and just tell us already," Steve Jenkins groaned.

Lilith turned to Brittany. "Brittany's already won this game, plus she's sooooooo boring."

"I would think that you of all people would find my inner conflict in regards to whether or not backstabbing my allies was good for my game interesting, but go off, I guess!" Brittany winced.

"At first, I thought Barry was the most boring person here, but if he really is Vladimir all along, then that's going to cause all kinds of stress and unrest!" Lilith beamed. "But you? You're just some boring, nice, pretty girl. Who cares?! People like you are a dime a dozen, Brittany! You add nothing to this show!"

"As much as I hate to say it, I'm with the freakshow," Steve Jenkins said. "In regards to wanting to lose Brittany and in no other way."

"Okay?" Brittany winced. "Can I ask what I did to you?"

"It's like Lilith said, you've already won this game," Steve Jenkins explained. "Keeping you around would not only cost someone what could be their _first_ win, but it's also going to keep around a threat that I think people are underestimating. Isidora's with me on this!"

"That is something I told Steve Jenkins," Isidora said emotionlessly.

"Well, is it true?" Brittany asked, hurt.

"...I'm on the fence," Isidora said. "While I have nothing against you personally, I do have something against the idea of someone who's already won winning a second time when everyone else could have had their one and only win."

"That's hardly fair!" Brittany insisted. "You got fifth place in your season, and got twice as many episodes as I did! Ernie also got fifth place! Irving got third! All of us have done well in our original season. Just because the rest of you came only close, and I _just_ managed to fall ass-backward into a win, suddenly that means I'm not allowed to play Total Drama anymore?!"

Isidora pointed her eyes to Steve Jenkins for a second and then shook her head slightly. Brittany looked to the floor.

"If I may, I respect how you feel, Brittany, but you've already won a million dollars," Vladimir mentioned. "The rest of us could also use a million dollars. Ernie's in law school, Bailey's boyfriend is in prison, Irving grew up less-than-fortunate... hell, I've already picked out how I'm going to donate the money if I win."

"...Did you just say 'hell'?" Bailey asked.

"This... This is a stressful environment," Vladimir said. "It slipped out. I'm sorry."

"Dude, apologizing for saying 'hell' is pretty lame," Steve Jenkins told him.

"I've played alongside Barry in the past," Bailey said. "And not once did I ever use any word more profane than 'crap', and _that_ was when he was stressed out."

"That's still not a very offensive word," Lilith smiled.

"Not to you or me, but Barry takes the concept of Hell very seriously," Bailey said. "If you'll recall, his task in the facing-your-fears challenge was to watch Drag Me To Hell."

"Which doesn't actually take place in Hell, by the way," Irving added.

"I don't think Chef actually knew that," Chris chuckled.

"The point being, Barry wouldn't just let that word slip out like that," Bailey claimed. "I believe that the man we've been calling Barry is, in fact, Vladimir!"

Vladimir gulped, almost unnoticeably.

"Even if that was the case, who cares?!" Shadya snapped. "Do you want to vote someone out for something stupid like being in disguise or already winning, or do you want to keep the team strong so we can make sure we don't end up back here?!"

Shadya pressed on her podium. The light on her podium turned red.

"I guess that means she voted," Isidora said.

"And if the rest of you had any brain cells, you would also vote for Lilith!" Shadya maintained.

Lilith pressed on her podium. The light on her podium also turned red.

"Come ooooooon, you guys know you want to vote for Brittany," Lilith smiled. "She knows what she needs to do to win, and she's proven that she'll do it."

Brittany's grip tightened on her podium before she cast her vote, turning her light red. Bailey and Vladimir cast their votes not long after.

"Who still hasn't voted?" Bailey asked. She looked around to see Ernie, Hugh, Irving, Isidora, and Steve Jenkins still with blue lights.

"What could possibly be taking so long?" Shadya asked.

"I'm stalling specifically to annoy you," Isidora deadpanned. "If you must know, I'm still torn."

Irving cast his vote. "I know when to read a room. I can sense that the Vladimir vote ain't happening tonight."

"Please don't call me Vladimir," Vladimir sighed.

Ernie also cast his vote. "Hope I, like, made the right decision."

Steve Jenkins cast his vote. "I definitely made the right decision. Steve Jenkins is known to do that from time to time."

This left Hugh and Isidora as the only two who still had yet to cast a vote.

"Is there any way I can convince you two not to vote for me?" Brittany asked desperately. "Please, you guys..."

"Mweeheehee. Your desperation is so so so precious, but it wouldn't be enough to change _my_ mind," Lilith giggled. "You'll need to show more unrest than thaaaat."

Hugh cast his vote. "Fuck it," he decided.

Isidora cast her vote. "It probably shouldn't have taken me this long, but what can you do?"

All ten of the podiums in use had their light glowing red.

"You have cast your votes and made your decision!" Chris announced. He took his phone out of his pocket. "I will reveal the votes one by one. Of course, the person with the most votes against them will be the very first person eliminated from Total Drama Party with the Stars. Hehaha."

The Grand Gryphons glanced at each other with varying levels of nervousness.

"First vote... Lilith!" Chris announced as he read from his phone.

Lilith simply giggled.

"Second vote... Lilith!" Chris continued.

"A_dora_ble," Lilith smiled.

"Third vote... Brittany!"

Brittany took a deep breath.

"Fourth vote... Brittany!"

Brittany closed her eyes and looked at the floor.

"Fifth vote... Brittany!"

"You cannot be serious," Shadya grunted.

"Sixth vote... Lilith!"

"Oh?" Lilith asked.

"Seventh Vote... Brittany!"

"Don't do this to me," Brittany muttered.

"Eighth Vote... Lilith!"

"I actually have no idea how this is going to go," Isidora mentioned to Ernie, who stood near her podium.

"I get the feeling that it's going to be, ya know, either Brittany or Lilith," Ernie told her.

Isidora shot him a deadpan look.

"The last two votes... are for the same person," Chris told the Grand Gryphons. "And that person is..."

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"The first person voted out of Total Drama Party with the Stars... is Lilith!" Chris finally announced.

Everyone's eyes turned to Lilith, who wore a wide grin on her face.

"Mweehee... Mweeheehee... Mweeheeheehehehehehahahahaha!" Lilith broke into laughter. "So this is what it's like! This is what it's like to be deemed so annoying and useless that you're worth voting out over the actual threats!" Her face flushed. "None of you will ever like me, will you? I bet not even the others who voted for Brittany will ever want to see me ever again! I bet you never did!"

"I mean, pretty much," Ernie said.

"Any last words before you're escorted out of here, Lilith?" Chris asked.

"Only that I loathe each and every one of you, and I hope you all go to Hell," Lilith smiled serenely.

"Please don't say that," Vladimir said queasily.

"Wait, Hell, not sticking around as ghosts?" Hugh scoffed. "If you're going to be edgy and subversive, at least be consistent!"

"I am," Lilith said. "I hope none of you become ghosts, and all just end up in Hell. Mweeheehee... Mweeheeheehee!"

The ceiling above the Grand Gryphons opened, and the Shackle of Shame snaked its way over to Lilith. It clasped onto her waist and began to pull her up above ground as she laughed. Once she was completely removed from the room, the ceiling closed again."

"And that, my friends, was the Shackle of Shame," Chris chuckled. "Pro-tip to not getting shackled: don't lose! Hehaha."

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind," Brittany cringed.

"You guys can head back to the elevator and back to the motel," Chris told the Grand Gryphons. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!"

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** Well, so much for keeping things casual early on! If people are going to vote for me just because I've already won, then I'll show them why I won in the first place. I'll show them why I'm an All-Star!

**Vladimir:** Well, it seems that Bailey isn't the only person I need to worry about. And now that my identity as Vladimir is on everyone's minds, retaliating is just going to make me seem more suspicious. I guess a start would be to cement my spot in Shadya's alliance. I managed to survive this vote, and I will be surviving the rest. Mark my words.

* * *

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay all stood in front of the city limits of Drama City.

"Our first elimination, and it was already pretty heated!" Chris announced.

"Lilith may have been able to slip between the cracks before, but I guess All-Stars just moved too quickly for her," Topher said.

"Hey! All body types are beautiful!" Lindsay scolded Topher.

"What?" Topher asked flatly.

"Anyway, how will the Grand Gryphons react to how the vote turned out?" Chris asked.

"How will the dynamics on the Fighting Wyverns continue to flesh out?" Topher asked.

"Will Quentin find all the statues over at Isolation Park?" Lindsay asked.

"You didn't hide them, remember?" Chris remarked.

Lindsay hung her head in shame.

"You'll just have to find out what happens next time, on Total!" Chris began.

"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.

"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison.

* * *

**Votes:**

Bailey: Lilith

Brittany: Lilith

Ernie: Brittany

Hugh: Lilith

Irving: Lilith

Isidora: Lilith

Lilith: Brittany

Shadya: Lilith

Steve Jenkins: Brittany

Vladimir: Brittany

* * *

**Grand Gryphons:**

Bailey - The Pragmatic Poet

Brittany - The Loyal Bombshell

Ernie - The Lazy Law Student

Hugh - The Head Villain

Irving - The Chaotic Pirate

Isidora - The Asocial Bookworm

Shadya - The Genius Athlete

Steve Jenkins - The Vlog Icon

Vladimir - The Untrustworthy Impostor

_20th: Lilith - The Harbinger of Unrest_

**Fighting Wyverns:**

Cyan - The Sweet Madame Blue

Dalit - The Social Media Model

Frita - The Morbid Artist

Jean-Marie - The Homeless Frenchman

Joseph - The True Bro

Kiki - The Strategic Hipster

Kun - The Awkward Team Leader

Louise - The Friendly PE Teacher

Nolan - The Wildcard Gambler

Quentin - The Lucky Ornithologist

* * *

_A/N: I don't recall Lilith ever being a particularly popular character, but I've always really enjoyed writing for her. When picking which of the girls from Virtual Party's merge I wanted to come back, I did, in fact, consider Vanessa or Wanda for the spot, but I didn't really have any strong plot ideas in mind for either of them, and I didn't want to just give them an early boot slot because I knew it would disappoint the people who were actually looking forward to seeing them play again. With Lilith, I didn't really need any sort of plot, just her quirks causing friction with the other characters, and I think she's an understandable enough first boot that I at least hope I won't be getting any angry letters about letting her go first. And thus, first blood has been drawn. What did you guys think of Lilith this season?_


	4. Ep 03: Sanctuary

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay stood at the city limits of Drama City.

"Last time, on Total Drama Party with the Stars!" the three began in unison.

"The contestants got acclimated to their new digs, and each other," Chris recapped.

"Everyone had lots of time to get to know each other before they had to compete in a challenge," Lindsay continued.

"We saw new friendships and alliances form and solidify," Topher said. "And some alliances even fell apart already!"

"Yep. Kiki gave Kun a piece of her mind about his feeble leadership, officially leaving his alliance," Chris said. "And while the status of the League of Villains was always questionable, it seemed like everyone who was supposed to be a part of it, other than Hugh, had their own agenda. Shocker!"

"Does this mean the backstabber got backstabbed?" Lindsay giggled.

"I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call it backstabbing, but the Grand Gryphons certainly didn't waste any time blurring the lines between friend and foe," Topher said. "Shadya and Isidora are pretending to be loyal to people they don't want to work with, Bailey and Brittany started keeping an eye out on Ernie and Vladimir to determine which one was actually Vladimir, and Lilith is, well, Lilith."

"You'd think Isidora would learn better after what happened with Warwick last time. Hehaha," Chris chuckled. "Of course, the Fighting Wyverns had their share of goings-on, too. Cyan and Louise, completely independently of each other, formed alliances of three that included each other. Dalit denounced Jean-Marie outright to his face, calling attention to his flirtatious manipulation in the past. And Quentin seems like he isn't having as lucky of a time out here as he had in the past."

"It's because he and Tori broke up! They were always meant for each other!" Lindsay cried.

"Evidently not," Topher chuckled. "The challenge involved the two teams pushing a big wagon across town, and picking up heavy crates to load into the wagon along the way. Both teams struggled to make it, but the Fighting Wyverns _just_ managed to get enough of a lead to declare themselves the victors."

"In a vote amongst them for who did the best and the worst in the challenge, the Fighting Wyverns chose Kiki as the best thanks to her taking initiative and picking up the slack," Chris mentioned. "They chose Quentin as the worst for being the source of most of that slack."

"That means that Kiki gets to stay at the penthouse today!" Lindsay smiled. "But Quentin has to stay at Isolation Park until the next challenge."

"But that wasn't the _really _fun vote of the night," Topher grinned.

"That's right! The Grand Gryphons headed to the Elimination Station, where they had to discuss what they were to do about the vote," Chris explained. "Shadya threw out Lilith's name almost immediately, calling her a challenge liability and a social outcast. Irving finally made public the suspicion that Vladimir wasn't exactly who he said he was. Lilith called attention to Brittany having already won, and how that could make her a threat. Lots of discourse over everything. Hehaha."

"It was a close vote between Brittany and Lilith, but Lilith had managed to annoy her teammates enough that the majority of them decided to just vote her off," Topher said.

"That girl was creepy," Lindsay shuddered. "But will the Grand Gryphons regret their decision?"

"Will any more conflicts arise on the Fighting Wyverns?" Topher asked.

"All this and more, on Total!" Chris began.

"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.

"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison.

* * *

Brittany had invited Irving into her motel room.

"Mm, it's been a while since a fine lass such as yourself has invited me into her room," Irving joked.

"This is serious," Brittany glared. "I want to accept your offer for an alliance."

"Ye were awfully close to being voted out last night," Irving nodded. "But fear not, lass! The Dread Pirate Irving accepts your acceptance of me alliance offer!"

"I'm glad," Brittany said flatly. "Now, you mentioned you were interested in working with Ernie and Isidora, right?"

"They seem easy enough to get along with, and seem willing enough to make scary moves, too," Irving said. "Hugh had roped me and Ernie in for some sort of villains alliances, but with Lilith gone, I can't imagine that's still a thing. Either way, methinks Ernie at least should be willing to work with this."

"He and Isidora seem to be pretty close already," Brittany noted. "Giving them more numbers to work with could probably entice them."

"Ye see? There be a reason we made it as far as we did the last time we both played," Irving grinned. "We both be _players_."

"I-I don't want to play a dishonest game this time," Brittany insisted. "I'm going to stay true to my allies, and I'm going to win this game doing it."

"Famous last words, those be," Irving told her. "In fact, that be awfully similar to the stance Cyan took when I got her eliminated."

"Oh? And who _won_ Virtual Party, hm?" Brittany challenged. "The girl who went with the flow and didn't care whose back she stabbed, or the boy who stuck by his code of honor, no matter how badly it hurt his game?"

"I only lost that game because those two ganged up on me in the last challenge!" Irving insisted.

"Probably because you were so cutthroat," Brittany pointed out. "Whatever. My point is: I am someone you can genuinely trust and rely on. That's not something you can say about a lot of people, especially on this team."

"Can't argue with that," Irving chuckled. "Don't ye worry, lass. I've no reason to get rid of ye. Not when we've got more obnoxious threats like Shadya or Hugh we could be dealing with."

"Any preference between the two?" Brittany asked.

"Well, I can't imagine Shadya's the type to put up with me general tomfoolery. So, If I had to pick..." Irving suggested.

"Makes sense," Brittany nodded.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** Am I making a mistake? I feel like this might be a mistake. I mean, I'm already in an alliance with Ernie and Isidora, and with Shadya and Bailey, and maybe/maybe not with Vladimir? I might be stretching myself a bit thin, here. But I do genuinely feel like it'd be in Irving's best interest to work with me, and I think he knows that, too. So I'm going to take the plunge!

**Irving:** Recall what I said all the way back in Virtual Party: If ye lie too much, then people will start to bank on ye lying, and no one will ever believe ye when ye tell the truth. So I be actually honest to Brittany, here. Besides, I could use me a stable ally or three. At least for now. Keheheh.

* * *

Kiki sat in the kitchen in her penthouse room, reading a magazine and snacking on a bag of banana chips.

"Damn, what an incentive to do well in challenges," Kiki told herself contently. "And I wasn't even trying to be the best. I guess I just am."

Kiki's chuckles to herself were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Yeah, I guess I'd better get that," Kiki told herself as she stood up and opened the door. Joseph was on the other side. "Oh. What do you want?"

"Can we talk?" Joseph asked. "I feel like we need to talk."

Kiki sighed. "Alright. Come on in."

She allowed him into the penthouse. She returned to the kitchen table, and he took a seat across from her.

"Can I have one of these small bags of pretzels?" Joseph asked.

"You may not," Kiki told him. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Oh, well, I've heard from some of the others that you just straight-up don't like me," Joseph frowned. "And you and I haven't really talked that much so far, so it can't be anything I said to you, I don't think. I just wanted to see what was up and if there was anything I can do about it. We can be bros if you give it the chance."

"That's the problem, Joseph," Kiki leered. "Your androcentric view of the world, where everything is about your 'bros' or your 'boys', is harmful and damaging to women!"

"'Bro' is a gender-neutral term, bro," Joseph frowned. "Has been for a long time."

"And what does 'bros before hoes' mean, exactly?" Kiki challenged.

"It means that you gotta stay true to your bros, and not let someone who's trying to mess with your life take over you," Joseph said. "A hoe is just anyone who's trying to manipulate you or get into your head. Lilith's a hoe, and I haven't seen her around this morning, so that's a pretty good sign."

"You _know_ that your language is gendered," Kiki said firmly. "Even if you are making up your own definition for what you're saying, no one else would know what you mean. That's why definitions for words already exist!"

"Look, bro, I promise you, I'm not trying to exclude women from anything!" Joseph insisted. "Like, Cyan and Louise are definitely bros. We'll hang out, we're cool. Irving's a hoe, though. Don't let the pirate shtick fool you: he's out for blood."

"Yeah, try not to act surprised that I don't necessarily believe you," Kiki said flatly. "You clearly hold some sort of internalized misogyny in that big hairdo of yours."

"Oh, and trying to form a girls-only alliance isn't... whatever the sexist word for men is?!" Joseph questioned.

"Not every congregation needs to include a man," Kiki maintained. "Men already dominate the workplace, the media, even casual groups of friends! Women will have a voice, too!"

"Women _do_ have a voice!" Joseph insisted. "And you can't just go calling me sexist while you're the one out here excluding an entire gender from your alliance on purpose!"

"I'm just leveling the playing field after it's been tipped in your favor for, you know, all of recorded history," Kiki claimed. "Now get out of my room. It's clear that your ego is too big to understand what I'm saying."

"Yeah, I'm the one with an ego," Joseph scoffed as he stood up and headed for the door. "Says the girl who acts like being sexist on TV is going to make her some sort of feminist icon."

Joseph left Kiki's room.

"What was he even trying to do there?" Kiki scoffed in amused disbelief.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kiki:** I find it awfully rich that when I'm in an alliance that happens to mostly contain women, I'm being sexist and trying too hard to be a feminist, but when Joseph, Kun, and Jean-Marie are all an alliance, that's just business as usual, nothing to see here. Ugh, I wish I could vote all three of them out right now. The fact that I am aligned with Quentin can stay a secret, by the way. You don't want your enemies to know all your tricks.

**Joseph:** Well, you can't say I didn't try with her. I'm not crazy, right? She's being unreasonable, right? Well, if nothing else, she should make for an easy target. We've got the Beastie Boys, we've got Cyan and Louise, and I can't imagine Nolan or Quentin will want to side with Kiki, either. Well, it isn't Nolan's choice, I don't think, but either way, there's no way she's getting any kind of majority.

* * *

Vladimir had approached Shadya in McLean Park as she did some stretches.

"Vladimir," Shadya acknowledged.

"Shadya, please don't call me that," Vladimir sighed. "I'm not Vladimir."

"Yes you are," Shadya stated. "I understand you want to maintain the illusion to seem like less of a threat, but do not correct me whenever I don't call you Barry. I will not be corrected, because I am always correct."

"I guess I can see how that would get annoying if you were sure I was Vladimir," Vladimir conceded. "Can I at least request that you don't call me Vladimir to the others?"

"You can request it. Whether or not I acknowledge said request is up to me," Shadya said.

"Alright, how about this?" Vladimir pleaded. "I really do want to work closely with you. I want to swear my loyalty to you as an ally."

"That was implied when we agreed to work together," Shadya mentioned. "Telling me that you swear loyalty to me is making it sound as if I shouldn't assume that you will be loyal to me otherwise."

"That's the opposite of what I was trying to do," Vladimir sighed. "What can I do to prove myself?"

"Actions speak louder than words," Shadya told him. "Convince me that you truly wish to work with me by making me forget that I ever suspected otherwise."

"Well, do you have any ideas for who we'd vote if we lost again?" Vladimir asked.

"Irving. I'm sure that will suit you well after he threw you under the bus last night," Shadya answered.

"He definitely seems like the type to cause trouble for fun," Vladimir winced. "I'm not sure I can condone that. Causing trouble for fun, that is. I can condone voting for Irving."

"As it should be," Shadya stated.

She ran up to a nearby tree, jumped, grabbed onto one of its arms, and began doing pull-ups.

"Wow," Vladimir said, impressed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Shadya:** The vote count last night was six against Lilith, four against Brittany. On paper, that is not strange, since there are six people in my alliance. But a part of me still feels like something is amiss. Loath as I am to admit it, I still can't quite place why I feel this way. It seems like there should have been more votes against Lilith, and not just because she was the only feasible option. You can't rely on others to be as smart as you. Especially when you're me.

**Vladimir: **Even if literally everyone in this game thinks I'm Vladimir, I'm still going to keep up the Barry facade, because that's what the real Barry would do in this situation, because it wouldn't be a facade. Besides, even if someone doesn't trust you, you can still get them to listen to you if you act trustworthy enough.

* * *

The marquee on the big sign outside Hatchet's Diner read 'Now With 100% Less Skunk'. Kun and Louise ate breakfast together inside.

"I sure, um, hope that the sign outside didn't mean that the food yesterday had skunk," Kun shuddered.

"Could be worse. Maybe it _wasn't_ the food," Louise chuckled.

Kun paled.

"Ah, it's probably just a joke," Louise assured him.

"Well, with that hopefully out of the way for good, I'd like to, um, make a proposal for you," Kun prefaced.

"What's up?" Louise asked.

"An alliance of, um, you, me, Cyan, Joseph, and Jean-Marie," Kun listed. "I've noticed you and Cyan getting along well, and I know, um, Joseph is also friends with Cyan. And Jean-Marie has already been called out by both Dalit and Kiki to my knowledge, so he's looking for, um, any opportunity he can get."

"Yeah, that sounds great!" Louise agreed. "I've actually been getting along with Joseph, too, and obviously you and I've gotten along since Shuffle Party. I don't know JM too well, but we might be able to trust him to stick with us if we're going after Kiki's alliance."

"I believe we can, um, trust him," Kun assured her.

"Well, don't forget that he's the kind of person who'll try to downplay his own threat level," Louise mentioned. "He probably knows that he's got a reputation and is just biding his time until people trust him before he goes taking charge of anything."

"Hm, I hadn't considered that," Kun admitted. "He hasn't given me, um, any reason not to trust him so far, but I'll try to keep a closer eye on him."

"That's a piece of advice Elmer gave me before I set out," Louise said. "Just because someone seems trustworthy doesn't mean that they are. If Wisdom can vote me out, then so can anyone."

"Well, um, I'd prefer not to think too much that way," Kun said. "Mostly because, um, if I did, I wouldn't be able to trust anybody."

"I can't blame you there. This is a cutthroat-as-hell game," Louise mused. "We can trust each other, though, right?"

"I believe so," Kun smiled.

"...So, how's the skunk taste?" Louise joked.

Kun began to cough into his napkin, nearly choking on his food.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kun:** It can be hard to, um, really trust people in this game, especially after being too trusting is what cost me the game last time. But, um, a good leader needs to be able to trust in those he leads, so I'm going to trust Louise and Jean-Marie, and the others, too. At least, I'll try to.

**Louise:** I think I might actually be in a pretty good position right now. Even if we get to a point where we vote out all of Kiki's alliance, there will still be people who are more on the outs than I am, so, unless people are trying something really funny, I should be pretty safe. I won't rest on my laurels, but I'm actually a lot more optimistic about this than I was about Shuffle Party. It's a pretty good feeling, I'm not going to lie!

* * *

Ernie and Isidora sat at the table in front of the motel. Isidora was reading a book, and Ernie simply leaned back in his chair.

"So, like, who'd you vote for last night?" Ernie asked.

"What? Lilith, obviously," Isidora reacted. "Did you _not_ vote for Lilith?"

"If I'm being honest, like, I honestly thought the push against Brittany was going somewhere," Ernie admitted. "Lilith, _Lilith_, managed to, ya know, convince me for at least a minute that voting Brittany was a good play. Obviously, you and I are allied with Brittany, but, like, if that's where the majority was going, which I thought it was if Lilith convinced _me_ to vote Brittany, then I'd want to say in the majority, ya know?"

"You really don't think much of our teammates, do you?" Isidora asked.

"Can you blame me?" Ernie chuckled. "Do you think people like Hugh or Steve Jenkins are going to think logically?"

"All of us made it to the merge of our season. You can't forget that," Isidora told him. "Everyone managed to avoid elimination for enough rounds so as to get a top half placement. Well, except Bailey, but you of all people should know that she's a smarter player than her shy demeanor would imply. The point is: this is a team of players who are skilled and savvy enough to get by. Don't underestimate anyone."

"I guess," Ernie conceded. "Let's plan for the future, why don't we? Steve Jenkins. I don't like him. I, like, can't imagine you do, either."

"Yeah, I can't say I'm a fan," Isidora agreed. "I think he trusts me for some weird reason, though, so I'm going to avoid voting for him if I have to. You never know when you could use an extra vote."

"He did mention something about you being on his side during the elimination ceremony last night," Ernie recalled. "I can respect using him for his vote, but don't, ya know, expect me to go up to bat for him anytime soon."

"I'm not using him," Isidora leered.

"Sure sounds like it," Ernie shrugged. "Either that or you actually, like, do like spending time with him and just won't admit it."

"Damn it, I really am doing it again," Isidora scolded herself.

"There's nothing wrong with manipulating people into voting with you," Ernie told her. "Sometimes it's, like, necessary to get ahead."

"I just don't want another Warwick incident to happen," Isidora sighed.

"I mean, you've got that rock on your finger. If he doesn't respect that, then that's, ya know, on him," Ernie said.

"I suppose," Isidora hummed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Ernie:** Isidora has absolutely manipulated people into voting with her before. And I'm not just talking about Warwick. It was, like, the main thing that got her as far as she went in Alpha Party. So I'm not sure where this sudden hesitation to, ya know, play the game is coming from.

**Isidora:** I'm not against playing a tough, cutthroat game. I just don't want to get any more people mad at me than I need to. Perception is everything in this game, and if people perceive me as someone who uses people, then they're not going to want to keep me in the game. I'm just trying to figure out how hard I really _need_ to play before making any huge moves. Making a big target of yourself too early on is never a good idea.

* * *

Dalit had dragged Frita into her room and sat her in front of a makeup mirror.

"Dalit, I don't want to do this," Frita frowned.

"Nonsense! Once you see all of the inner beauty inside of you, you will fall in love. With yourself!" Dalit insisted.

"...What?" Frita reacted.

"Have you tried hairstyles that aren't... not a style?" Dalit asked.

"I can't remember the last time I have, no," Frita answered. "It doesn't seem like it's worth the time."

"Nonsense!" Dalit decried. "Your appearance changes how people see you. If your hair is good, people will think you are good!"

"I'm not sure that's true," Frita told her.

"Ephraim didn't even notice me until Bijou gave me a makeover," Dalit maintained. "And I am thinking that your Ephraim is out here in this game somewhere. You just need to learn how to make yourself pretty."

"Plastic surgery sounds expensive," Frita sighed.

"What? No, not that!" Dalit huffed. "Have you ever worn makeup before?"

"My mom makes me wear it when we go to weddings or something," Frita recalled. "She's always done it for me, though, and I've never felt the need to wear it outside of that, so I've never done it myself."

"Hmm... Let us start with something simple! Your nails!" Dalit decided.

"My nails?" Frita asked. "I, I guess?"

"You have never painted your nails before, I assume?" Dalit guessed.

"Not since elementary school. I hate the smell of nail polish," Frita answered.

Dalit sighed. "I will have my work cut out for me."

"You're the one who decided to do this," Frita grumbled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Dalit:** Of course it is effort to be beautiful! That's why people admire beauty so much. Frita can be beautiful if she would just put in the effort. I will teach her to fish so I can feed her for a lifetime. She will _want _to be pretty once I show her how truly pretty she can be!

**Frita:** Shouldn't we be focusing on getting the others to not want to vote for us? Because I feel like that's a legitimate concern that... oh, who am I kidding? I was always going to be the first one voted out of this team, no matter how much I try to convince everyone not to. I may as well semi-enjoy this while I can. _(She looks unsurely at her now-painted fingernails.)_

* * *

Hugh caught up to Bailey as she was on her way to Hatchet's Diner.

"Hey, Bailey. Let's talk," Hugh began.

"Oh, um, hello Hugh," Bailey acknowledged. "Dare I ask of what you wish to speak?"

"Why, it sounds like you don't trust me," Hugh played along.

"You've given me no reason why I should," Bailey told him.

"Have I given you any reason why I shouldn't?" Hugh scoffed. "I voted for Lilith last night, you know."

"Is that so?" Bailey doubted.

"Listen, I think we could work well together," Hugh smirked. "I've already talked to Shadya about an alliance, and I'm pretty sure I could get Ernie and Irving on board."

"And you think I'm cutthroat enough to join your villains' alliance?" Bailey surmised.

"You're definitely cutthroat enough to just lay Vladimir out like that in front of everyone," Hugh pointed out. "I'm just offering a deal for you. We help each other get rid of Vladimir, and maybe have each other's backs further on if you feel so inclined."

"Do you really expect me to believe that you're not making deals with Vladimir, too?" Bailey asked.

"I expect you to take advantage of a strong offer for a majority alliance," Hugh responded. "Let's be real: who's going to work with Vladimir now that he's been publicly outed? Working with him is just going to announce to the world that you feel like you don't trust literally anyone else."

"That wasn't... awfully put," Bailey admitted. "Perhaps I'll talk to some of the others about it. You mentioned Shadya, Ernie, and Irving?"

"That's right," Hugh confirmed. "You and Shadya are the first people I've talked to about this, so take it up with her first, I guess. The other two would probably just get confused."

"And yet, you're so certain that they're going to accept that you've already included them in your pitch," Bailey pointed out.

"Like I said, there's no point in turning down a good majority alliance," Hugh insisted. "If nothing else, it will ensure that the target stays on someone other than you for at least one elimination."

"_Was_ the target on me?" Bailey questioned.

Hugh chuckled. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Bailey:** I don't know, it sounds to me like that whole pitch would be better suited to someone like Brittany who is very clearly a target. Why would Hugh pick me out of everyone on this team that he could have chosen? It just doesn't make sense to me.

**Hugh:** Why did I choose Bailey? Because I know for a fact that she'd be on board with a Vladimir vote. She and Irving basically called him out in front of the entire team last night. And hey, maybe working together can build some trust between me and her. If people trust you, they won't be so inclined to vote you out. _(He sneers proudly.)_

* * *

Jean-Marie found Cyan playing Dig Dug at the O'Neal Barcade.

"Come on, come on, come on..." Cyan muttered to herself as she focused intently on the game. "Aw, dang it!"

The character on the screen died, prompting a game over.

"I would not have taken you for the type to play video games," Jean-Marie told her.

"Oh! Jeez, you startled me." Cyan took a second to catch her breath. "I just thought it'd be a fun distraction until the challenge. I never expected to see you here, either, though."

"I've been without a phone for a few years, and it's easy to take for granted how nice it is to kill some time with a phone game," Jean-Marie explained. "I was curious to see what they had here."

"Well, I like this game, because the guy you play as is blue, and the bad guys are red and green," Cyan giggled. "I will destroy the false colors!"

"_Je vois, je vois_," Jean-Marie nodded. "So how has the game of Total Drama treated you so far? Enjoying yourself?"

"I'd say so," Cyan nodded. "Getting to know everyone was always my favorite part of the game, and since we haven't lost a challenge yet, I haven't had to vote for any of my friends."

"Well, in the event that we do have to vote, I come with an offer," Jean-Marie relayed.

"Oh?" Cyan acknowledged.

"Kun wishes to set up _une alliance_ with you, me, Louise, and Joseph," Jean-Marie explained. "I think this could be an effective alliance, myself."

"Ooh, yeah, that sounds like a good group!" Cyan agreed. "Only five, though? We'd need six for a majority, yeah?"

"This is true," Jean-Marie hummed. "We may be able to get Quentin on board easily enough. We can't rely on Nolan's vote, and the other three are all in an alliance already."

"I can try talking to Nolan anyway, just in case," Cyan offered.

"That would be _merveilleuse_," Jean-Marie smiled. "Can we trust him, though?"

"He may vote how his dice tell him to, but I don't know if his dice can dictate who he talks to or what he tells them," Cyan said. "It might be best to have him not on our bad side."

"Better safe than sorry, _non_?" Jean-Marie nodded.

"Right!" Cyan confirmed. She returned her attention to Dig Dug. "By the way, I will be getting the high score in this. If you want a high score here, you'll have to find another game."

"..._D'accord_," Jean-Marie said awkwardly.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Jean-Marie:** Cyan can be... goofy, but I can tell that she has a good head on her shoulders. I think she might actually be a good ally going forward. I, er, I hold a lot of respect for her. _Oui_.

**Cyan:** It's concerning that this alliance doesn't include Nolan, who I'm working with, but I think it could be just what I need to get ahead! The last thing I want is for Kiki to run the team because she's just not a fun person. This is a game, and games are supposed to be fun, darn it!

* * *

Steve Jenkins followed after Nolan as he made his way through the street.

"Come on, you have to let me into the barcade!" Steve Jenkins pleaded.

"The rules of the game dictate that I do not," Nolan told him flatly. "In fact, they strongly encourage me not to."

"What, don't you remember my March 26th, 2019 vlog?" Steve Jenkins asked. "The Steve Jenkins way is to start your afternoon with an Old Fashioned."

"I don't watch your vlog," Nolan told him.

"AWHAAAAAAA?!" Steve Jenkins gasped.

"Besides, you were fine without an Old Fashioned yesterday," Nolan pointed out.

* * *

_(Yesterday)_

Steve Jenkins was in Hatchet's Diner, bugging Chef.

"Come on, you have to let me into the barcade!" Steve Jenkins insisted.

"I do not!" Chef snapped. "Now get the hell out of here before I refuse to feed you for the rest of the season!"

"You can't do that!" Steve Jenkins snapped. "I know it looks like my body is naturally perfect, but I need to maintain the perfect diet!"

"Heh, then you sure as hell ain't gonna like what's for dinner," Chef snickered to himself.

"What was that?" Steve Jenkins asked.

"None of your business!" Chef barked.

* * *

_(Present Day)_

"Come on, don't be a lamer," Steve Jenkins pressured.

"You can go a couple of days without alcohol," Nolan told him.

"Man, don't say it like that. You make it sound like I've got a problem," Steve Jenkins scolded.

"You've got a problem alright," Nolan muttered.

"What was that?" Steve Jenkins asked.

"Look, if you wanted access to the barcade so badly, you should have won the challenge," Nolan told him.

"It's not my fault the rest of my team isn't on my level!" Steve Jenkins maintained.

"What, your unending fount of charisma couldn't inspire them to do better?" Nolan teased.

"They're all lamers! I did my flawless best, as usual!" Steve Jenkins cried. He noticed Nolan trying to walk ahead of him. "Hey, wait up!"

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Nolan:** _That_ guy made the merge in his season, while people like Kiki and Jean-Marie didn't? Eh, then again, Erica also made the merge, and all she ever really did was act aggressively tsundere. This truly is a game of luck as much as it is a game of skill. _(He smirks.)_ Just my kind of game.

**Steve Jenkins:** I hate to admit it, but Nolan's right! What I need to do is inspire my team with my natural Steve Jenkins charm! That'll make sure that we never lose a challenge again. After all, who could possibly let Steve Jenkins down?

* * *

Sunlight shone on Quentin's face as he slept on one of the benches in Isolation Park. He grimaced for a second before relenting to the time and waking up.

"Ugh... Not the best night's sleep I've ever had," Quentin commented.

He got up off the bench and started stretching his limbs.

"What I wouldn't give for a cup of coffee right now," Quentin mused. "He said that I have to stay here until the next challenge, right? Geez, when's that going to be? I wish I'd brought a watch."

Quentin began strolling around the park in order to help wake himself up.

"Man, I really hope my team isn't plotting to get me voted out," Quentin fretted. "I know I didn't do great in the challenge, but we still won, right? And I've already been sent here, right? That cancels itself out, right?"

Quentin stopped at one of the running fountains and cupped his hands in order to catch some water to drink. He drank, but his stomach still growled.

"How am I supposed to do better in the next challenge if I don't get a decent night's sleep and have to miss dinner and breakfast?" Quentin sighed. "Am I supposed to eat tree bark? Is that sanitary?"

Quentin continued walking through the park.

"I wish I at least had someone to talk to. Isolation is a lot tougher on me than I would have thought," Quentin lamented. He fished something out of his pocket and looked at it. "At least I can talk to you, right?"

The item in question, a small wooden bust in the likeness of a girl with a bob cut and glasses, obviously did not respond.

"Haha, yeah, I feel you," Quentin chuckled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Quentin:** _(He is holding onto the wooden figure.)_ I found this last night as I was looking around the park. I remembered some people speculating if there could be hidden statues in here, and sure enough, Genesis here was hidden in a secret compartment in one of the walls. _(He takes a note from his pocket and reads it.)_ 'Congratulations, you've found the Genesis Statue! Playing this Statue will allow you to nullify every vote cast for one person of your choosing. You must play the statue after all the votes have been cast, but before they've been revealed.' This could be huge if I play it right.

* * *

Brittany and Ernie ate lunch in Hatchet's Diner.

"So, what do you make of Barry really being Vladimir?" Brittany asked.

"As long as he sticks with the alliance, I, like, really don't care," Ernie said.

"But how do we know we can trust him to?" Brittany asked. "He's a sneaky player, Ernie. That's why he feels the need to put on a pleasant front."

"I've played sneaky before, too," Ernie pointed out. "So have you, actually. Are you saying we, ya know, shouldn't trust each other?"

"No, I just..." Brittany sighed. "I don't want my legacy to be as a messy player who people refused to work with because she somehow won."

"So you're doing whatever you can to project a target on Vladimir because you want to reduce the size of the target on your own back?" Ernie deduced.

Brittany gulped.

"I mean, fair enough," Ernie figured. "That's a valid way to play. It got me through House Party."

"I don't want to play a dirty game," Brittany said.

"You kind of have to if you, ya know, want to get ahead," Ernie told her. "Even David backstabbed Kiki."

"Well, if you have another idea for a target, I'd love to hear it," Brittany said.

"I've been pushing for a Steve Jenkins vote all this time," Ernie told her.

"I wouldn't be opposed to that," Brittany figured.

"Hey guys," Bailey greeted as she joined the two.

"Bailey. Steve Jenkins vote. You in?" Ernie asked.

"Um, sure?" Bailey half-agreed.

"We were just talking about Vladimir, too," Brittany informed her. "What do you think of how we should tackle him?"

"I'm... not sure," Bailey admitted. "Steve Jenkins should be an easy person to rally votes against, though, so why don't we focus on him for now?"

"Mm," Ernie nodded.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Ernie:** She isn't _sure_? She's the one who practically, like, unmasked Vladimir in front of everyone. I mean, yeah, we're supposed to be in an alliance with him, but if she's going to take a stance, she can't, ya know, flake on that.

**Bailey:** Oh no... I panicked a little once I was confronted about wanting to vote for Vladimir. After Hugh brought up the idea to work together to vote him out, now I'm just associating the idea of a Vladimir vote with working with Hugh in my mind. Thus, my immediate reaction was as if they had asked me if I was working with Hugh. _(She takes a deep breath.)_ I can figure this out. I just need a little time to digest it.

**Brittany:** Steve Jenkins, Vladimir, me... How can one team have so many potential targets out there at once? I kind of miss the smaller teams of Explore Party. It was a lot easier to keep track of everyone. I'm definitely going to need to start turning heads away from me and towards Steve Jenkins, though. Or Vladimir. Or Shadya, like I discussed with Irving. Whoever we decide on. _(She sighs.)_

* * *

Kiki had gathered Dalit and Frita into the penthouse.

"This place is a good one to live in," Dalit smiled as she admired the decor. "I think I will buy one for me and Ephraim when I win."

"What if you don't win?" Frita asked.

"That kind of thinking is why you were voted out so early before!" Dalit scolded.

"You got last place in your season," Frita mumbled.

"Ladies! We need to focus," Kiki told them. "We need to settle on a target."

"The votes will just fall on me anyway," Frita sighed. "Don't put yourself in an inescapable minority for my sake."

"Oh my-" Kiki cut herself off in order to take a breath. "Do you think we can get a majority going against Kun or Jean-Marie?"

"I should hope we can get votes against Jean-Marie," Dalit said. "He is not a person who is to be trusted! We can remind everyone of that."

"I like to think that we can get that to happen, but I'm skeptical," Kiki admitted. "Who do you think we can get to turn against him?"

"Not Quentin," Frita mentioned. "I actually threw Jean-Marie's name out to him yesterday, and Quentin said he didn't want to do it."

"We might still be able to get Quentin," Kiki said. "I also spoke to him yesterday, and he seemed at least a little interested in working with us. We just need to be more convincing."

"What do we do? Threaten to beat him silly unless he votes with us?" Dalit suggested.

"No. What? No! _What_?" Kiki reacted. "We just need to highlight to him that there are already other alliances on this team who aren't going to have him as any sort of high priority. And, yeah, remind him that Jean-Marie is a manipulative man who can't be trusted and is already in an alliance. I'll try reconnecting with Cyan and Louise, as well. We _can_ get through this!"

Silence.

"By the way, you have not yet complimented Frita's nails yet!" Dalit pointed out. "That is rude because I worked very hard on them!"

"She did spend an inordinate amount of time choosing a color," Frita corroborated.

Kiki groaned in frustration.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kiki:** Am I the only one taking this game seriously?! Ugh, they should have put me on the Gryphons and Bailey on the Wyverns. The Gryphons are full of people that actually want to play this game. Not spending half an hour choosing a color to paint each other's nails!

**Frita:** I want to help Kiki out, but I just don't have any kind of social skills to get people to want to vote with us. I'd just make it worse, and remind people how annoying I am, and they'd just vote me out instead, and that won't be helpful for me or Kiki or Dalit. So I'm... helping by not helping? I don't know, I'm not good at this.

**Dalit:** I can do Kiki's nails, too! She could really use it, and maybe a bit of blush, because her complexion is not inviting at all, and that might be why nobody else wants to vote for Jean-Marie with her!

* * *

Hugh met up with Irving over by the garage with the Grand Gryphons' logo painted on the door.

"Alright, good news, artard, the League of Villains isn't dead," Hugh sneered.

"I thought ye said that ye had good news," Irving remarked.

"You're hilarious. Will you be here all week?" Hugh asked flatly.

"I sure hope so! I got this pirate hat custom-made, I did. Be a shame if that went to waste," Irving laughed.

"Listen, I managed to talk Shadya into working with me," Hugh explained. "And I've pitched the idea to Bailey, as well."

"Hold up!" Irving picked his ear and then flicked the refuse away. "I thought ye said ye talked to _Bailey_."

"I did, artard," Hugh scowled.

Irving burst into hearty laughter. "Are ye daft, lad?! Why would sweet, shy little Bailey join a villains alliance?!"

"Well, I didn't outright call it that to her face. Give me some credit," Hugh scoffed. "Besides, she's someone that we know will be willing to vote for Vladimir if it comes down to it."

"And ye won't just work over Vladimir because...?" Irving asked.

"Because nobody else will," Hugh explained. "If I tried saving Vladimir, nobody else would want to work with me. We need to think long-term, here. And Vladimir is not necessary long-term."

"I have to admit, I didn't expect a move like that from ye," Irving told him.

"Underestimating me cost lots of people the game back in Alpha Party. I suggest you don't let it happen to you, too," Hugh snickered.

"Or else what? Ye'll vote me out? I thought ye were thinking long-term," Irving challenged.

"I never said I'd vote you out right away," Hugh threatened. "But anyway, if we can successfully band the team against Vladimir, it'll put us in a much better position than if we tried to help his obvious ass. After that, maybe we can keep steering the target off of us. I'll fill Ernie in on this later, too. As long as we have at least five votes, we should be good."

"If ye say so," Irving figured. "What do ye reckon Vladimir will try to do to save himself? He certainly not be the type to just lay down and die."

"Who cares? As long as we have the majority, he could throw _me _under the bus for all I care," Hugh dismissed. "What's important is that nobody trusts him, and we can use that to gain trust with the others."

"I'll see what I can do," Irving chuckled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Hugh:** Tch. I'd think Irving would be way more on board with this, considering he was the other person throwing ol' Vlad under the bus last night. He probably just refuses to hurt his ego in acting like I came up with a better plan than he did. But again, so long as we can get the votes against Vladimir, then we can establish ourselves as people that others will want to trust and work with.

**Irving:** Maybe I can talk to Brittany about it all. I know she'd appreciate hearing a name that isn't her own being thrown out there. She and I discussed voting Shadya, but perhaps that can wait until later. Hate to admit it, but Hugh may actually be onto something here with the whole "establishing trust" thing. Of course, anyone would be a fool to trust the Dread Pirate Irving too closely, but if folks don't expect me to pull some funny business, then that be on them! _(He laughs mirthfully.)_

* * *

Kun invited Jean-Marie and Joseph into his apartment room.

"Well, I spoke with, um, Louise, and it sounds like she's willing to work with us," Kun relayed.

"And I, with fair Cyan," Jean-Marie mentioned. "I believe she is also on our side, although she was strangely insistent on trying to work Nolan over as well."

"She may, um, already be working with Nolan," Kun surmised.

"I mean, there's no reason not to go with it, right?" Joseph figured. "The more allies, the better."

"It is not as if Nolan can choose to go against us," Jean-Marie thought aloud. "But it is also not as if he can choose to go with us."

"Nolan is very much a wildcard," Kun nodded. "But I'd rather, um, have a wildcard on this team than someone who I know is actively against us."

"Kiki's our first mark, yeah?" Joseph inquired. "Because I tried talking to her, and she still hates my guts just because I'm not an active feminist or something."

"Dalit has expressed similar disdain towards _moi_," Jean-Marie pointed out.

"Between the two, I think, um, Kiki is a bigger threat," Kun stated. "I see her as, um, more of a priority target. Without her, I don't imagine Dalit or Frita upending the, um, dynamics of the team or anything."

"This makes sense," Jean-Marie conceded. "I'll admit, I'd likely make a similar call were I in your position."

"Well alright! We've got this in the bag, bros!" Joseph beamed.

Kun looked to be deep in thought.

"Is something troubling you?" Jean-Marie asked him.

"I'm just, um, hung up on something," Kun admitted. "I'll bring it up if I ultimately feel it's worth bringing up. It, um, might just be me overthinking things."

"Best not to overthink things, my man," Joseph assured him. "We've got a target, and we've got people who are willing to vote for her. No reason to rock the boat before it's even left the dock."

"That is... one way to put it," Jean-Marie commented.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kun:** I'm just, um, wondering if keeping Nolan around is a mistake. If Cyan and Louise really are already working with him, then, um, once we get rid of Kiki's alliance, he might be more of a priority to keep around than me or Jean-Marie or Joseph in their eyes. And it's not as if we can guarantee his vote on our side. I still think getting rid of Kiki now is our best play, but, um, I'm still not sure about Nolan.

**Jean-Marie:** If Nolan is always going to cast stray votes, then I cannot foresee him proving too much of an obstacle, especially if we already have a majority. It would be best to focus our efforts on eliminating those who actively oppose us, _non_?

**Joseph:** I'm just glad that I've got my bros on my side out here. Kiki isn't the first person to call me a misogynist, and when that happens, people are going to want to turn against you because they don't want to be called misogynists either. Kun and JM are hella smart, though, so they know better. That's why they're bros.

* * *

Isidora read a book in McLean Park as Shadya had just finished running laps around the perimeter.

"I still insist that working out at least a little can make a difference," Shadya told Isidora.

"And I still insist that my daily quantity of energy is painfully limited and I want to be of at least some use in the challenge," Isidora responded.

"That's just an excuse and you know it," Shadya told her.

"Sure is," Isidora agreed.

"Anyway, what do you think of voting out Irving if we lose again?" Shadya asked.

"You want to respond to us losing a challenge... by voting out someone who's good at challenges?" Isidora restated.

"I want to respond to Irving not being someone I can work with by voting out someone I can't work with," Shadya glared. "He isn't just good at challenges. He's good at the strategic game, too. We can't forget that."

"I guess," Isidora conceded. "I'm still not sure voting him out right away is the best move, though."

"It is. I came up with it," Shadya insisted. "If eight other people can't win a challenge just because Irving isn't there, then that group of people deserves to keep losing. Especially with me being one of those eight. Everyone else would really have to be weighing me down."

"It's true, literally nothing has ever once been your fault," Isidora responded.

"Stop that," Shadya instructed. "Irving is not only expendable but a detriment. I will not repeat myself."

"I'm not saying I'm against an Irving vote, I just don't grasp your logic at all," Isidora said bluntly. "You think we could drop our deals with Hugh and Steve Jenkins and drop one of them instead?"

"If I thought that was the optimal play, then I would have pitched it to you instead of what I did pitch," Shadya stated.

"If you say so," Isidora said.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Shadya:** Of course, I will continue to do everything in my power to make sure my team does not lose, because the very idea of me having any challenge losses churns my stomach, but I would be foolish not to assume that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Thus, Irving had best be doing his best to win challenges as well, because otherwise, it will be his head.

**Isidora:** It's not that I trust Irving necessarily, but I'm incredibly skeptical of the idea that Hugh or Steve Jenkins will be of much help to us if we keep them around. Irving's at least a semi-reasonable human being. If we lose another immunity, I think getting rid of one of them would be more beneficial than getting rid of Irving. Plus, on a personal level, I really don't want Steve Jenkins to get too attached to me. I might make a push, I might not. We'll see how I'm feeling.

* * *

Cyan, Louise, and Nolan all played a tabletop card game in the barcade, each with a light beer.

"Why is there only one stack of blue cards?" Cyan frowned.

"Because that's the only type of reaction card that came with this set? I don't know," Nolan told her.

"Laaaaaaame," Cyan complained.

"At least her strategy will be easy to figure out," Louise whispered to Nolan.

"True, true," Nolan chuckled.

"I heard that!" Cyan accused. "You only win when you spend gold on the green cards, right? Obviously, I want to win."

"You know, my wife would insist that cyan and blue are two different colors," Nolan mentioned.

"Well, your wife is wrong," Cyan said.

"No, she actually explained this one to me," Nolan continued. "What are the primary colors of light?"

"Red, green, and blue. Everyone knows that," Cyan answered. "Hey, wait a minute, are you trying to give me the old 'cyan is just blue and green light at the same time' thing? Because that still means it's a shade of blue, just with some green!"

"Okay then, what are the primary colors of pigment?" Nolan asked.

"Red, blue, and yellow," Louise answered.

"Wrong, actually," Nolan corrected proudly. "Cyan, magenta, and yellow. Why do you think those are the colors of printer ink? Mixing those colors will produce any color on the spectrum. Mixing red, blue, and yellow gets you some muddy looking colors and that's it."

"Okay, then blue pigment is just a combination of cyan and magenta or whatever. Blue and cyan are still the same thing!" Cyan insisted.

"By that logic, magenta is also a shade of blue," Nolan told her.

"Wait, how does mixing blue and yellow paint make green then?" Louise asked.

"I don't remember," Nolan admitted. "But yeah, blue and cyan are the same thing just as much as green and cyan are the same thing."

"Well, fine! Then I'll just buy all the green cards and win the entire game!" Cyan proclaimed passionately. "...That felt so wrong to say. Your wife is wrong. Cyan is a shade of blue. I'm sorry, I don't make the rules."

"It sounds like you don't even follow the rules," Nolan muttered.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Cyan:** Nolan didn't have to tell me that. What a jerk!

**Nolan:** Heh, one light beer and we're getting heated about what colors count as what. I guess that is a passion of Cyan's, but I was curious to know if she'd heard that take on how cyan and blue are technically two different colors. Ah, it was all in good fun. I don't think she's actually mad at me.

**Louise:** Cyan did end up buying most of the blue cards in the end. To her credit, those ones are really strong and not worth a lot of gold, so she ended up getting 2nd place in that game. Go figure.

* * *

Steve Jenkins found Vladimir eating by himself at Hatchet's Diner. He took his own plate of food and sat across from him.

"What's up, Vlad my man?" Steve Jenkins grinned.

"I preferred 'Baz', to be honest," Vladimir told him.

"Look, you might have everyone else fooled, but the all-seeing eyes of Steve Jenkins can't be so easily deceived," Steve Jenkins claimed. "But don't you worry. I've got your back."

"How do you mean?" Vladimir asked.

"Brittany totally should have gone home last night," Steve Jenkins said. "Not that Lilith was, like, remotely tolerable to be around, but she was also no threat to us! Brittany knows how to play this game. Brittany knows how to _win_ this game! Are we just going to sit back and let her do that again?"

"Brittany is an awfully competent player," Vladimir agreed. "And I would like to get her out, especially if I'm the alternative."

"Honestly? You might be," Steve Jenkins told him honestly. "But listen, I've got Isidora and Shady in my corner. Now that Lilith is gone, Shady's going to need a new target, and who better than someone who's going to challenge her 'must-win-everything' ego by having already won? I know, I know, hold your applause."

"There were four votes against Brittany last night, right?" Vladimir recalled. "I was one of them, and I assume you were, too?"

"That's right," Steve Jenkins confirmed.

"Lilith was probably one of them, and if Shadya voted for Lilith, which I can't imagine she didn't, that would mean Isidora was the fourth vote, yeah?" Vladimir put together. "We'll need at least one more vote if we want a majority, though."

"That shouldn't be difficult. I'm sure Hugh or Ernie or someone would be willing to listen to reason," Steve Jenkins figured.

"Ernie and Isidora do seem to hang out quite a bit. You may be onto something here," Vladimir smiled.

"Tch. Was there ever any doubt?" Steve Jenkins boasted as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm easily one of, if not the smartest person on this team."

"You're definitely proving yourself to be smarter than I'd assumed," Vladimir told him.

"See? Even with my amazing reputation as Steve Jenkins, I'm still able to surpass people's expectations," Steve Jenkins self-praised. "Are you sure you're not willing to start worshipping me?"

"Pretty sure, but I am willing to work with you in the game," Vladimir said.

"Baby steps, I guess," Steve Jenkins shrugged smugly.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Vladimir:** Not a lot of people have approached me today. I spoke with Shadya about maybe voting out Irving, and he's also someone I wouldn't mind getting out. I can start discussing it with the others. What's important here is that I'm not necessarily doomed, even with the reputation that I've managed to amass in such a short time. I guess that's on me for underestimating how quick people would be to catch on to my disguise. Regardless, I had a reputation as a sneaky player last time, and I still managed to get 5th. I can do so again.

**Steve Jenkins:** This town ain't big enough for _two_ sexy genius blondes, and Ernie certainly isn't putting his hat in that ring. Getting rid of Brittany would be a massive move, no two ways about it. A lesser man might end up with a bigger target on his back for making such a big move and being a big threat, but I'm Steve Jenkins, so all I need to do is give a smile and a wink, and I'll have everyone forgetting what a scary player I am. _(He smiles and winks at the camera.)_

* * *

Quentin sat on a bench, practicing his bird calls. Two finches flew up next to him.

"Hey, guys," Quentin smiled. "How's the game been treating you?" He paused. "Wait, you're birds, you're not playing the game."

One of the finches flew away. Quentin frowned. He redirected his attention to the other finch.

"So, eat any good berries lately?" Quentin asked. "Any... Any you might be willing to share with me? Please? I'm very hungry."

The finch looked at Quentin. It did not respond.

"I'll settle for worms. Please," Quentin groaned as he clutched onto his stomach.

The finch flew off. Quentin sighed.

"Attention, everyone!" Topher's voice rang through the city-wide PA system. "It is now time for the challenge! Meet us at McLean Park within twenty minutes! Quentin, the door to Isolation Park is unlocked!"

"Yes... finally...Quentin mustered with a sigh of relief.

He stood up, went towards the door back out to the city, and walked through. The click of a lock sounded behind him when the door closed on his way out.

"Time to do everything in my power to not go back in there," Quentin told himself.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Quentin:** Isolation Park sucked. It might actually be the worst experience I've had in my life. Nobody to talk to, nothing to do, no food, no shelter... Is this what it's like to be homeless? Dang, this is all putting my life into perspective.

* * *

The teams met up with Chris, Topher, and Lindsay at McLean Park.

"How was Isolation Park?" Nolan asked Quentin.

"The worst," Quentin said.

"Take your L as an incentive to do better next time, bro," Joseph encouraged.

"Thanks, I will," Quentin smiled weakly.

"Now that everyone's here, it's time to get this one explained," Chris began. "You guys remember the big crates you guys ferried across the entire city?"

"No," Isidora responded.

Chris gave her an annoyed look before continuing. "Well, I'm sure you were wondering what was inside all those crates."

"That's what today's challenge is all about!" Topher continued. "And here to help explain it all is a good buddy of mine. You know him from Explore Party: it's Ethan!"

A tall, muscular man ran into view from behind a building and joined the others.

"What is up, party people?!" Ethan greeted.

Joseph and Steve Jenkins both cheered, and high-fived each other in the heat of the moment.

"I _like _these two!" Ethan grinned. "Anyway, those crates you hauled from the last challenge are going to be hella important to this one."

"You don't have to bring them back anywhere, don't worry," Lindsay assured everyone.

"Naw, this challenge is way doper than that," Ethan said. "What's in those boxes is a bunch of neat shit so you can turn the lame-ass garages you left them in into the sickest hangout spots in the city! What whaaaaaaaat!"

"That's right, Ethan," Topher corroborated. "You guys' challenge today is to house-flip your designated garage into somewhere that people will feasibly want to spend time in. The big crates are full of tools, furniture, decor, what have you. Feel free to use it to your heart's content."

"You'll have three hours from the word 'go'," Chris added. "After the time is up, the four of us will judge your work on aesthetics, cleanliness, and fun factor. The team that gets the best overall score will win reward!"

"Reward? Not Invincibility?" Louise asked.

"That's right! This is not an elimination round," Topher told the contestants. "In these early rounds of the game, you guys will get a couple of these non-elims, to give you stars a chance to shine a little longer."

"Oh, that's neat," Vladimir smiled.

"What be the booty, then?" Irving asked.

"The reward?" Lindsay asked unsurely. "The reward for winning this challenge is that you guys will get a TV and a Playstation for your new hangout spot!"

"The Playstation can not only play games, but has Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify capabilities, too," Ethan added. "Definitely not something you guys are going to want to miss out on."

"Hulu would be a godsend," Brittany admitted.

"Oh, and before I forget, someone from the Fighting Wyverns has to sit out to keep the teams even," Chris added.

"I'd rather not," Quentin told his team. "I want to redeem myself from last time."

"You look hella tired, bro," Joseph told him.

"I can sit out," Frita sighed.

"You're an artist. You'd be really helpful in this one," Nolan told her.

"I wouldn't know what to do if I was in this one. I can hit the bench," Louise volunteered.

Nobody objected to this.

"Alright. Hosts! I'm sitting out!" Louise announced.

"Okie dokie," Topher acknowledged. "By the way, if the Fighting Wyverns win this challenge, Louise will not participate in the Best/Worst vote."

"Is that a thing?" Isidora asked.

"It's probably how they determined who would go to Isolation Park," Bailey figured.

Vladimir appeared pensive.

"If there are no further questions...?" Chris began. "...Go!"

The teams both ran for the garages.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Shadya:** A round where you don't have to vote anyone off? What a horrible idea. Losing a reward challenge has drastically reduced stakes, which will make everyone less motivated to do their best. Why bother having a challenge at all if it's not going to matter to the game?

**Cyan:** OMG, I love interior designing so much! Of course, usually, I just make all the walls, furniture, and decor blue whenever I'm coming up with ideas. That's probably not in the cards for this one, but I'll still do whatever I can to keep the room cool!

**Ernie:** _(He yawns.)_ I don't know, this all seems kind of, like, redundant. Do we not already have an entire city we could hang out in? I guess having music and video games wouldn't hurt, but if I have free time, I'd rather just, ya know, take a nap.

**Quentin:** Alright, good, this one doesn't seem like a super intense challenge. I should still be able to contribute to this one. Spending the night at Isolation Park is making me want to avoid going there again by any means necessary. I'll put in extra effort to make sure I'm not the weakest link.

* * *

The two teams arrived at their respective garages at about the same time. The Grand Gryphons entered their garage, which was understandably barren and dusty.

Steve Jenkins coughed overdramatically. "Alright, Jenkinettes! We need to really kick this one in the ass! Follow my lead, and we'll win this one no issue!"

"Are we going to dignify any of what he just said by responding to him?" Isidora asked Brittany.

"_I_ wasn't planning to," Brittany responded.

"Yeah, it might just be best to let us ignoring him speak for itself," Isidora agreed.

"I converted an old garage into a youth group center a few years ago," Vladimir offered. "I think I can-"

"Ye did no such thing," Irving interrupted.

Vladimir sighed. "Yes, for Edmonton Community Church. The garage itself wasn't too far from the main church building."

"That's a cool story, but, uh, I don't remember asking," Hugh said snidely. "Anyone here actually know what the hell they're doing?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Shadya scoffed. "I designed and built the house I currently live in. Renovating a garage should be an easy win for the Grand Gryphons."

"Yeah, yeah, you chopped down the trees to get the wood and everything, we get it," Steve Jenkins said with a roll of his eyes.

"No, that would have taken too long," Shadya denied. "I saved so much time just buying the wood. Time I spent learning how to cook fugu safely. But I digress. Let's get these boxes open."

"They're nailed shut, by the way," Ernie pointed out.

"Then put your back into it," Shadya told him.

Ernie sighed and began pulling on the lid of the nearest crate.

"What ideas do you have for what we should do?" Bailey asked Shadya.

"I'm glad you asked!" Steve Jenkins butted in. "You see, if we can find a printer, we can photocopy pictures of my face to put all over the walls."

"Just because this be a reward challenge doesn't mean ye shouldn't be actually trying to win," Irving remarked.

"Well, I'm not photocopying pictures of my ass to put on the wall!" Steve Jenkins insisted.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Steve Jenkins:** I don't know what's wrong with everyone. I'm doing whatever it takes to encourage them with my Steve Jenkins brand of leadership, but they're not listening! Ugh, it's because Shady keeps talking over me, isn't it? If I talk too loud, I'll strain my vocal cords, and nobody wants that!

**Isidora:** This actually seems like a challenge I could contribute to. Shame it's not for Invincibility, but either way, this type of hangout place seems like somewhere I'll keep going to. I'll do what I can to make sure it doesn't suck.

* * *

The Fighting Wyverns had just gotten their crates open and were emptying the contents to see what they could use.

"Looks like we have all sorts of paints, wallpapers, and wall decor in this one," Quentin relayed to his teammates.

"This one looks to have disassembled furniture," Jean-Marie informed.

"This one is filled with tools and things that are also like tools," Dalit said.

"Tools? How'd Steve Jenkins get in that box?" Nolan chuckled.

"Is there any, um, blueprint paper anywhere?" Kun asked.

Joseph started emptying the box of tools as quickly as he could, getting stuff all over the place.

"Hey, watch it!" Kiki snapped after a screwdriver nearly hit her in the forehead.

"Just be glad it wasn't a Phillips. A Phillips is more likely to gouge into your skull if thrown haphazardly," Frita mentioned ominously.

"I found blueprint paper!" Joseph announced as he held the large, rolled-up sheet of blue paper aloft.

"And I found Benjamin Moore's Stained Glass paint!" Cyan cheered as she emerged from the first crate, holding a bucket. "A wonderful shade of blue to paint a room if you ask me."

"Hm, that is a nice color," Kun said as he inspected the bucket. "Any objections to painting the walls this color?"

"I trust Cyan to know which color we should paint the walls," Joseph grinned.

"I don't think it will go with my complexion," Dalit griped.

"No, teal would suit you better, but I can fix your wardrobe later. We have to focus on the challenge," Cyan told her.

"My wardrobe is perfect, you intolerant bitch!" Dalit snapped.

"Hey, that's, um, really not necessary," Kun tried to defuse.

"If you guys need me, I'll get to work on actually building the furniture. That might be important," Kiki mentioned.

"G-Good call. Me too!" Quentin backed up.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Dalit:** I will not allow anyone to speak bad about my outfit! It is by Teddy Fresh! Go look them up and buy their clothes right now! You can do that on your computers or phones!

**Nolan:** It's fascinating how our team was able to synergize during an active challenge, yet a more laidback challenge like this has everyone arguing. We do have some people who know what they're doing, though, so I think we can still pull this off if we can focus.

* * *

The Grand Gryphons gathered around the blueprint paper as Shadya drew up plans.

"Putting that lamp there is bad feng shui," Ernie claimed monotonously.

"And will feng shui affect our chances of winning?" Shadya asked impatiently.

"I mean, it might," Ernie figured. "It kind of sounds like, ya know, something Topher might get into."

"Why do _you_ know so much about feng shui?" Isidora asked.

"I fell into a Wikipedia rabbit hole after doing research for an essay about homicides," Ernie claimed.

"Who cares about some outdated zen bullshit? Will the lamp look good there, or not?" Hugh interrupted.

"Yes," Shadya said.

"Good, then we're putting it there," Hugh decided.

"Now, hold on!" Steve Jenkins butted in.

"Any possible input you can give is irrelevant and unnecessary," Shadya said.

"Did you stop to think about what color the lamp is?" Steve Jenkins accused. "What if the color completely clashes with the rest of the surrounding furniture? Are you _trying_ to cost us this challenge? It's a good thing Steve Jenkins was here to lead his team on the path of victory!"

"The... The lamp is black," Bailey said. She had been holding the lamp the entire time.

"Yes, and what if... uh... What color doesn't go with black?" Steve Jenkins asked.

"None," Brittany answered.

"Exactly, what if the surrounding furniture has none colors?!" Steve Jenkins questioned.

"Monochrome wouldn't be an awful look, actually," Vladimir thought aloud.

"Don't encourage him," Isidora remarked.

"We be losing focus!" Irving shouted. "Steve Jenkins, why don't ye go check outside to see if there's anything we could bring in that the other team wouldn't think to?"

"That's actually not an awful idea," Steve Jenkins conceded. "I mean, obviously it isn't, because I came up with it first. I just felt that the lamp was more of a priority to worry about, which is why I didn't bring it up sooner. Anywho, Steve Jenkins will be right back. Try not to miss me too much!"

Steve Jenkins ran out of the garage.

"I deserve Invincibility for that alone," Irving bragged.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Shadya:** I'm becoming increasingly skeptical that keeping Steve Jenkins around is a remotely worthwhile endeavor.

**Ernie:** I'm just saying, like, feng shui needs to have come from somewhere. It had to have made enough sense to enough people for it to catch on. There's no reason _not_ to, ya know, make sure the houseplant is put in the southeast if it means there might be an increased chance of money. I don't know.

* * *

The Fighting Wyverns had split into two factions: people who were putting the furniture together, and people who were painting the room.

"So hey, was there anything of note in Isolation Park?" Kiki asked Quentin quietly as they put a cabinet together.

"I did find a few varied thrushes. Beautiful creatures," Quentin smiled.

"Anything game-related?" Kiki clarified flatly.

"Oh, uh, I might have," Quentin admitted. "We can talk more later."

"No, you guys, you're not applying enough paint," Cyan told Dalit and Frita. "The color is going to look completely off! And as much as I embrace having as many shades of blue as possible in any given area, the hosts are just going to see an uneven mess!"

"I've never painted anything in my life," Frita sighed. "I only make pencil sketches..."

"I will not allow you to yell at us as if we are your slaves!" Dalit snapped back at Cyan.

"I-I'm not yelling!" Cyan yelled. "I'm just very passionate about this!"

"Bro, it's alright," Joseph consoled. "If it turns out to be too big of an issue, we can always fix it later."

Cyan took a deep breath. "You're right." She turned to Dalit and Frita. "Sorry for losing it."

"Don't do it again," Dalit glared.

Cyan winced.

"Ignore the hoes," Joseph told her as they walked away from the scene.

"No, I overreacted. They had every right to talk back," Cyan admitted. "It's still super embarrassing, though."

"Well, you apologized. If they're still mad after that, that's on them," Joseph said. He suddenly wore a look of discomfort.

"What's up?" Cyan asked.

"Nothing. Personal business," Joseph told her.

"Ugh, I should have stepped in," Kun said to Jean-Marie and Nolan as they put a coffee table together.

"_Mais non_, being overbearing won't do you any good," Jean-Marie assured him. "It may have been better that you didn't."

"It's a leader's duty to make sure things are running smoothly. I neglected that duty," Kun said.

"Do things seem like they're running smoothly right now?" Nolan asked.

"Right now, yeah, but..." Kun began.

"Then there's nothing to worry about," Nolan figured. "If things heat up again, then you should probably step in, but for now, you might as well let sleeping dogs lie."

"Maybe," Kun conceded.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Cyan:** Dalit comparing me to a slave owner was definitely not warranted, on so many levels, but Joseph's right. I need to take the high road here. At least, if things continue to go badly, it probably won't be too hard to get the votes against her.

**Joseph:** Damn, I never apologized to Kiki for upsetting her, did I? I mean, I'm not the one in the wrong between us, but still, if I do, then she becomes the bad guy, full-stop, right? Still, I don't think I could bear to apologize to her when she started it. I did enough of that with my shitty ex-girlfriend all those years ago. It's not a healthy mindset to be in, bros.

* * *

The Grand Gryphons had made considerable progress in house-flipping their garage, with furniture and decor having been placed all around the area.

"Should we have painted the walls before putting everything in place?" Isidora questioned.

"If we weren't on such a limited timeframe, then maybe," Shadya admitted. "But we only have so much time to make this place look good, and painting it would have been a massive time sink."

"I still think it looks good," Bailey smiled.

"Exactly," Shadya nodded. "It's about optimizing results with the restrictions placed upon us."

"Wow, you really do surpass expectations, Shadya," Hugh complimented. "I did not know it was possible to be this much of a fucking nerd, but, as always, you continue to blow us all away."

Shadya rolled her eyes.

"...So, Steve Jenkins has been gone for a while. Do you think something happened to him?" Vladimir fretted.

"I hope so," Irving chuckled.

"That's not necessary," Brittany reprimanded. "I'm going to go check on him."

Brittany left the garage.

"So, like, how much time do we have left?" Ernie asked.

"Twenty minutes," Isidora answered as she checked her watch.

"Is there anything else we could fix up in that time?" Ernie wondered.

"I found him," Brittany announced as she and Steve Jenkins returned.

"Did ye find anything?" Irving asked Steve Jenkins.

"_Did_ I?!" Steve Jenkins boasted. He took an orange out of his pocket and placed it on the coffee table. "I was going to get more, but I realized that I only had so much space in my pockets. I actually picked two, but I got hungry on the way back."

"Game-changing addition," Isidora commented.

"I didn't know this city had orange trees," Bailey mentioned.

"Me neither, but what Steve Jenkins needs, Steve Jenkins gets," Steve Jenkins claimed.

"I'm taking that as permission to kick him in the nuts whenever I want," Hugh snickered quietly.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** I think we've done a good job with our garage. I don't know what the other team is looking like at the moment, but I could easily see us winning this one. I hope we win. That reward is sounding better and better.

**Vladimir:** I am concerned about the fact that we didn't paint the garage's walls, because I'm almost certain that Cyan would have made her team paint their wall blue, and that could make the difference. We'll just have to wait and see. Anything can happen.

* * *

Over in the nearby building where the hosts had previously waited for the challenge to end, Chris, Topher, Lindsay, Ethan, and Louise hung out. Chris stood in the corner with a cup of coffee, Topher was giving Lindsay a manicure, and Ethan and Louise were locked in an arm-wrestling match.

"I'm so glad we get to do this kind of thing together!" Lindsay told Topher excitedly. "Chris would never."

"Eh, doing things for others out of the kindness of my heart has never really appealed to me," Chris mentioned. "Mostly because there isn't a whole lot of kindness in my heart."

"And that's why you soured on fans so quickly," Topher mentioned. "It's a good thing they finally brought me on board."

"Because you're such a bleeding heart," Chris quipped.

"As a fan-turned-contestant-turned-host-turned-host/producer, I understand every necessary point of view that can make the show perfect," Topher claimed. "I'm a valuable treasure."

"Cool, maybe I can bury you somewhere," Chris grumbled quietly.

"I'll do your nails next, alright?" Lindsay said.

"I would appreciate that," Chris complied.

"Oh, I was talking to Topher," Lindsay admitted.

Chris angrily sipped his coffee.

"Yes! Tie broken!" Ethan announced as he slammed Louise's hand against the table.

"You're tough," Louise smirked.

"And you're definitely the strongest chick I've ever met," Ethan told her.

"I get that a lot," Louise mentioned proudly. "Sports are pretty great. It's a shame that kids are getting more into TV and YouTube now that that stuff is getting so much easier to get a hold of. People need to stay active in order to be healthy! That's why I'm doing what I can to be a fun and engaging coach!"

"That's what's up," Ethan nodded.

An alarm on Chris's phone went off.

"That's the challenge!" Chris announced. "Let's go break the news to everyone."

The group made their way out of the building.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Louise:** I strongly believe that exercising at least a little every day can make a huge positive difference in your life. Even if you're just taking a walk, that's keeping you way more active than if you just sat at home all day. Take care of yourselves, folks!

* * *

The contestants all met up with the hosts and Ethan outside their garages.

"Alright, in just a minute, the four of us are going to look at you guys' hangout spots," Chris explained. "We're going to give your efforts a ranking on a scale of 1 to 10. Whichever team has the highest point total will win the challenge!"

"In order to keep things at least a little fairer, Ethan and I will go to the Fighting Wyverns first, and Chris and Lindsay will go to the Grand Gryphons first," Topher continued. "This way, we won't all have the same first impression compared to the one we go to second."

"Good luck, you guys!" Lindsay chirped.

"I'm hella stoked to see what you guys did," Ethan told the contestants. "I expect some tight shit from y'all."

"Everyone, wait out here. Once we have the results ready, we'll let you know," Chris instructed.

The judges each went into their first garages.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Jean-Marie:** I do hope that my old friend Ethan can throw my team a bone, here. He likely won't, and I would not blame him, but I think that I, more than anyone, really want this reward. _J'espère que nous avons dépassé l'autre équipe._

**Bailey:** I believe that winning this challenge could result in a large spike in morale for whichever team pulls it off. Having an entertainment system will make it easier for anyone with access to it to unwind, and possibly bond with others over experiencing entertainment together. My fingers are crossed that we emerge victoriously.

* * *

The judges posted their ultimate verdicts on the garage doors. The contestants took notice, and all flocked to their team's respective paper.

"Chris said: 'This is about what I would expect. It looks nice enough, but it lacks the wow factor that I had hoped for. Plus, the walls aren't even painted. 4/10'," Isidora read. "He absolutely could not have done better."

"Topher said: 'Excellent use of feng shui. What a creative use of the tools given to you guys. My only complaint is that the room lacks color. 6/10'," Vladimir read.

Ernie grinned smugly at Shadya.

"Lindsay said: 'I can tell you guys worked really hard on this! I would totally hang out here if I could. I hope you guys continue to enjoy it throughout the season! 10/10'," Shadya read. "See, at least Lindsay has taste."

"Ethan said: 'I can't explain it, but there's something about this room that speaks to me, even if you guys never actually opened a single can of paint. I think it's because it smelled like oranges. I like the smell of oranges way more than the smell of paint. Clever move. 7/10'," Brittany read.

"Don't all kiss my feet at once," Steve Jenkins said proudly.

"We won't," the entire rest of his team responded at once.

"That's a 27/40," Ernie added together. "Not something I'm, like, super confident in."

"We'll just have to see what happens," Irving said. "I think we can do it!"

The Fighting Wyverns, meanwhile, read their paper at the same time.

"Chris said: 'This feels like a real room that someone would want to spend time in, not just a garage with furniture. I can tell you guys knew what you were doing. 8/10'," Cyan read. "Alright!"

"Topher said: 'You know how they say that, if you're doing something right, it's not going to stand out as much as if you did something wrong? I think that's how I feel about this room. It's nice, but nothing stands out to me about it. 6/10'," Kiki read. "What the hell does that even mean?"

"Lindsay said: 'I can tell you guys worked really hard on this! I would totally hang out here if I could. I hope you guys continue to enjoy it throughout the season! 10/10'," Quentin read. "Well, that's nice."

"Ethan said: 'I dig the shade of blue you guys used to paint the walls. I'm going to be real, though, the paint fumes are making my stomach sick. Never huff paint fumes, kids. It'll ruin you. 4/10'," Kun read. "Well, that, um, hardly seems fair, being penalized for making the place look better because of something he did in the past."

"We'll just have to run with it," Joseph said.

"It sounds like everyone has read their reviews!" Chris announced. "And, with just one point ahead in their favor..."

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"The Fighting Wyverns win!"

The Fighting Wyverns cheered.

"Man, come on, it took me like an hour to find oranges!" Steve Jenkins objected. "Absolute lamers, the lot of you."

"Grand Gryphons, we've got nothing for you. You won't be voting anyone out, but you're still going to stay at the motel, and won't get to go to the barcade. You're all dismissed," Topher told them.

The Grand Gryphons all left the scene.

"Congrats, guys, y'all get a sweet PlayStation!" Ethan told the Fighting Wyverns.

"But that's not all. It's time for another Best/Worst vote," Chris said.

Lindsay and Topher handed slips of paper and pens to each of the Fighting Wyverns, sans Louise.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Cyan:** I don't know if my team will hold my insistence on painting the room against me or not, since it caused Ethan to give us a low score. I think the other three liked it, though? I don't know.

**Quentin:** I hope I managed to avoid doing the worst this time around. Even if it means another potential shot at a hidden statue, it's not worth sleeping outside with no food.

* * *

The team had turned in their votes for who they thought did the best and worst in the challenge.

"Your votes have been counted, and the results are in!" Topher announced.

"The person who got the most votes as the best is..." Chris began.

...

...

...

...

...

"Cyan!"

"Oh, yay!" Cyan clapped. "Thanks so much, guys!"

"You definitely knew what you were doing more than the rest of us," Nolan told her. "We couldn't have done it without you."

"Enjoy your stay at the penthouse," Topher smiled.

"And for who got the most votes as the worst..." Chris began.

"I hate this part," Lindsay frowned.

...

...

...

...

...

"Dalit!" Chris announced.

"I beg your pardon?!" Dalit snapped. "I have not done anything wrong!"

"_Vous criez trop, pour une chose_," Jean-Marie murmured.

"This means that Dalit will not be able to celebrate her team's win, and will be headed to Isolation Park!" Topher confirmed.

"That's not fair!" Dalit shouted.

"That's the game, brah," Chris shrugged.

"Let's go, Dalit," Lindsay coaxed as she headed for Isolation Park. "It won't be for very long, promise."

Dalit angrily complied.

"I brought coke!" Ethan announced as he re-joined the scene.

"Please tell me you don't mean-" Chris began.

"Nah, just kidding, I brought Pepsi," Ethan chuckled as he held up a box of sodas. "Enjoy a movie tonight or something, dudes. You earned it!"

* * *

**Votes:**

**Best:**

Cyan - Jean-Marie, Joseph, Kiki, Kun, Quentin

Kiki - Dalit, Frita

Joseph - Cyan

Quentin - Nolan

**Worst:**

Dalit - Cyan, Jean-Marie, Joseph, Kun, Quentin

Cyan - Dalit, Frita, Nolan

Kun - Kiki

* * *

The Grand Gryphons all went to eat dinner at Hatchet's Diner.

"These two losses are irrelevant in the grand scheme of this game!" Shadya told her team. "We _are_ strong, we _are_ brilliant, and we _are_ tenacious! The other team has only won through sheer luck! Today's challenge? Quantified entirely subjectively. Not an accurate measure of skill whatsoever. We _will_ carve our paths to victory henceforth!"

Silence.

"Neat. Can I eat my mashed potatoes now?" Hugh asked snidely.

"To her credit, that's the most positive I've ever seen her," Isidora commented.

"Just remember, everyone: every loss we take, Steve Jenkins gets just a little bit disappointed in you," Steve Jenkins told everyone solemnly. "Repent now, and win every challenge!"

"Well, I know I'm jazzed to go win, now," Ernie remarked.

"At least we don't have to vote for anyone tonight," Bailey offered.

"We did miss a hell of a reward, though," Irving grumbled.

"I'm with Bailey. We should look on the positive side of things," Vladimir agreed. "We're all still in the game, and that's something to be glad about."

"That is true," Brittany said. "Come on, guys, we may have lost, but, until you're voted out, you still have a chance to win this game."

"You of all people would know that," Hugh conceded.

"Was that an insult?" Brittany asked Isidora quietly.

"Probably," Isidora told her.

"I see it as more of a symbol of your perseverance," Vladimir said. "You still won, even when things worked against you. So did every winner in this game, now that I think about it. I guess that's what it means to win a game. It sounds kind of obvious when I say it out loud."

"You tried," Brittany giggled.

"I still have faith in us," Bailey smiled. "Two losses don't mean anything."

"Here be to victory for the crew of the Grand Gryphons!" Irving announced as he held his glass of water aloft.

"Here!" Bailey, Brittany, Hugh, Steve Jenkins, and Vladimir all played along.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Shadya:** Having a 100% loss ratio is something that I simply cannot abide by. Part of me wishes that this was an elimination round so I can continue to trim the fat. Thankfully, the rest of the team seems to share my sentiment that we must win from here on out. It _will_ happen.

**Hugh:** I'm not about to let a bunch of jokers who couldn't even make it to the merge the first time one-up us! We've got legacies to uphold, damn it! Especially me! I'm the baddest boy Total Drama has ever known! I need to keep that going! Of course, I wasn't going to stroke Shadya's ego by agreeing with her back there. I need to make sure she knows that she doesn't call all the shots out here.

* * *

The Fighting Wyverns, sans Dalit, stayed in their new garage as Kun looked for a movie to watch.

"I'm hard vetoing anything that doesn't pass the Bechdel Test," Kiki told Kun.

"Do you, um, know every movie that passes it?" Kun asked.

"I'll be able to tell at a glance which ones _don't_," Kiki claimed.

"Okay, but, um, once I've- we've chosen a movie, we're not changing midway if you suspect that it doesn't pass," Kun established.

"Ugh, I guess that's reasonable," Kiki conceded. "It's not like this will be our only time hanging out here."

"Exactly," Kun smiled.

"...It will be nice having the opportunity to be a team, and not constantly arguing with each other," Kiki said.

"That's what I'm hoping for," Kun agreed.

"I'm still not sure I should be here," Louise admitted as she sat on a couch with Cyan and Nolan. "I didn't earn any of this."

"Nonsense! Someone had to sit out, and you didn't think you'd be able to contribute to the challenge," Cyan assured her. "You're still a part of the team."

"Believe me, I definitely don't want to miss out," Louise beamed. "I can tell this is going to be a hell of a night."

"The inaugural Netflix and Chill of the game," Nolan agreed.

"...You know what that means, right?" Louise asked.

"I do," Nolan chuckled. "Relax, I'm just joking. Although, I wouldn't be horribly shocked if that did end up happening at some point."

"Between who?!" Cyan gasped.

"What about those two?" Nolan asked as he gestured his head towards Frita and Quentin, who were talking in the corner.

"Oh yeah, by the way, I found a hidden statue over in Isolation Park," Quentin told Frita.

"Really?" Frita asked.

"Yeah. It lets me nullify all votes against one person, but I have to play it before the votes are revealed," Quentin explained. "Maybe Dalit will find one, too."

"Maybe we'd actually stand a chance," Frita said. "...No, I'd still find a way to mess it up."

"How would you mess it up?" Quentin asked.

"I don't know, but I'd end up doing it somehow," Frita sighed.

"Frita, would you call yourself an unlucky person?" Quentin asked.

"I guess?" Frita answered.

"People call me a lucky person sometimes," Quentin told her.

"So we balance each other out?" Frita asked.

"No, what I'm trying to say is that there's no such thing as being a lucky or unlucky person," Quentin told her. "It's just a matter of your outlook. On if you focus on the good things that happen, or the bad things."

"Good things don't happen to me," Frita claimed.

Meanwhile, Jean-Marie and Joseph drank their sodas in another corner.

"So I'm thinking that, if I apologize to her, then she becomes the bad guy for not accepting it and still beefing with me," Joseph said. "But at the same time, apologizing to her would be an admission of defeat, and I didn't even do anything wrong. What do you think I should do?"

"It sounds as if, if you apologized, it would be for the wrong reasons," Jean-Marie told him.

"What do you mean?" Joseph asked.

"One should only apologize if he truly means it," Jean-Marie told him. "If you aren't sorry, then don't apologize. Otherwise, it seems like you're being juvenile."

"Juvenile? How?" Joseph doubted.

"Apologizing solely so you can feel like you're the good guy in a conflict? That sounds so... catty," Jean-Marie told him.

"Damn, you think?" Joseph pondered. "Bro, I just don't know what to do. She refuses to hear me out."

"And we will vote her out in due time, _ne t'inquiètes pas_," Jean-Marie assured him.

"I guess that's true," Joseph grinned.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kun:** As the team leader, I must be able to get along with everyone in my team, even if I know they don't want to work with me. Kiki's not an unreasonable person, despite her apparent disdain for men.

**Frita:** Everyone always thinks that I'm just overexaggerating how bad my luck is, but that's because they aren't me. They aren't there to witness it firsthand.

* * *

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay all stood in front of the city limits of Drama City.

"Nobody went home tonight, but the tension is still, er, getting tenser," Chris said.

"How tense will things get before they snap?" Topher asked.

"Knowing this show, it's not going to take a lot," Lindsay mentioned.

"You got that right!" Chris laughed. "Will the Fighting Wyverns' new PlayStation be the difference between them getting along or not?"

"Will the Grand Gryphons make good use of their own new hangout spot?" Topher asked.

"How much will hidden statues play into things?" Lindsay asked.

"You'll just have to find out what happens next time, on Total!" Chris began.

"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.

"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison.

* * *

**Grand Gryphons:**

Bailey - The Pragmatic Poet

Brittany - The Loyal Bombshell

Ernie - The Lazy Law Student

Hugh - The Head Villain

Irving - The Chaotic Pirate

Isidora - The Asocial Bookworm

Shadya - The Genius Athlete

Steve Jenkins - The Vlog Icon

Vladimir - The Untrustworthy Impostor

_20th: Lilith - The Harbinger of Unrest_

**Fighting Wyverns:**

Cyan - The Sweet Madame Blue

Dalit - The Social Media Model

Frita - The Morbid Artist

Jean-Marie - The Homeless Frenchman

Joseph - The True Bro

Kiki - The Strategic Hipster

Kun - The Awkward Team Leader

Louise - The Friendly PE Teacher

Nolan - The Wildcard Gambler

Quentin - The Lucky Ornithologist


	5. Ep 04: Assembly

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay stood at the city limits of Drama City.

"Last time, on Total Drama Party with the Stars!" the three began in unison.

"Our contestants started planning for what to do should they ever have to vote," Chris recapped.

"Even I can't tell who's genuinely working with who in some cases," Topher claimed.

"Which is why you'd be on the Fighting Wyverns if you were playing this one," Chris commented.

"Really? They seem more straightforward," Lindsay said.

"_Anyway_," Chris interrupted. "Fresh off the heat of the Grand Gryphons' vote, Brittany reluctantly accepted Irving's offer to be in an alliance, while Hugh tried rallying up the troops to get rid of Vladimir. Vladimir's pretty dead set on keeping up the Barry facade, in spite of everything."

"Over on the Fighting Wyverns, Joseph tried to make amends with Kiki. That didn't work!" Topher laughed. "Kun's big alliance seems to be more or less officially put together, and Quentin, during his stint in Isolation Park, managed to find the Genesis Statue. That could come in a lot of handy."

"Also, Dalit made it her mission to give Frita a makeover. I hope that goes well," Lindsay smiled.

"Yeah, that too," Topher corroborated.

"The challenge was to house-flip a few empty garages into a clubhouse of sorts," Chris recapped. "This led to a lot of conflict between teammates, not surprisingly. The Grand Gryphons opting not to paint their walls ended up costing them a lot of points, and they lost the challenge."

"It was just a reward challenge, but the reward was pretty sweet," Topher chuckled.

"Also, Cyan won the vote for who was best in the challenge, so she gets to stay at the penthouse!" Lindsay added. "But Dalit got voted as the person who did the worst, so now she's in Isolation Park."

"It's another elimination tonight. There's no rest for the wicked tonight," Chris said.

"What do we have in store for everyone today?" Lindsay asked.

"And who will be the next star to burn out?" Topher asked.

"All this and more, on Total!" Chris began.

"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.

"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison.

* * *

Jean-Marie and Kun chatted on their way to Hatchet's Diner for breakfast.

"Do you mind if I ask what you said was on your mind yesterday?" Jean-Marie inquired. "I must admit, you left me curious."

"I'm not sure I remember what you mean," Kun admitted.

"When we were discussing our plans going forward with Joseph," Jean-Marie clarified. "You said that something was troubling you."

"Oh, well, um, I'm just a little concerned about Nolan," Kun explained. "If Cyan and Louise really are aligned with him, might they be more loyal to him than to us?"

"_Peut-être_, but he cannot be loyal to them, given his dice restriction, _non_?" Jean-Marie pointed out.

"Unless that's what he wants us to think," Kun fretted.

"I think you are overthinking it," Jean-Marie told him. "As of now, Nolan cannot use his vote as any sort of leverage, so I cannot foresee him swaying anyone into voting how he wants since he won't even be able to vote how he wants."

"And what about Cyan and Louise?" Kun asked.

"There are three of our original alliance and one of Nolan," Jean-Marie posited.

"There are three in Kiki's alliance, too," Kun mentioned. "Not to mention we, um, still don't know where Quentin stands."

"I will talk to Quentin later. I believe he wishes to be my friend," Jean-Marie assured him.

"That would be a load off of my mind," Kun said with a sigh of relief.

"_Il semble que je ne jouerai pas aussi passivement que je le pensais_," Jean-Marie mused.

"I don't have anything against your culture, but, um, it's not polite to speak in a language people don't understand," Kun stammered.

"Apologies. I was simply thinking aloud. Nothing you need to worry about," Jean-Marie assured him.

"May I ask what you were saying?" Kun asked.

"I was simply lamenting that I may not be playing as passive a game as I'd hoped," Jean-Marie said. "I hope that this will still turn out well for me."

"I see," Kun nodded.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Jean-Marie:** Believe me, I would love to take full control of this game, but last time I tried to do that, it was not received well. I need to play in a way that will not offend others but will still get me far. It is a very hard balance to strike, but I will do what I can.

**Kun:** Jean-Marie is a pretty notably aggressive player, so I'm, um, not entirely sure where his self-admitted attempts at passive gameplay are coming from. It's not as though it's made him any less of a target if what he's told me about Dalit is true. I'm still not entirely sure how honest he's being with us, but I, um, don't have any reason not to trust him as of now...

* * *

The marquee outside Hatchet's Diner read "Limited Time Strawberry Shakes 8:00-8:01". Inside the diner, Ernie and Shadya ate breakfast.

"How the hell did you manage to get one of those shakes in time?" Ernie asked.

"I ran around the perimeter of the city streets at approximately 6 in the morning," Shadya claimed. "I saw the sign by then, and was able to return to the hotel, shower, change clothes, and return here in very little time."

"Can I have a sip?" Ernie asked.

"If you wanted a sip badly enough, you would have arrived in time to get your own," Shadya told him.

"Yeah, if you say so." Ernie rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, has Hugh mentioned his plans to get Vladimir out should we lose again?" Shadya asked.

"He has not," Ernie denied. "Why do you, like, bring it up? Obviously we aren't voting for him."

"It would secure Hugh and Irving as potential allies," Shadya said.

"_Please_ tell me you don't trust those two to actually, ya know, stick with us," Ernie groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"No less than I trust Vladimir," Shadya said.

"And you're just going to let Steve Jenkins stick around?" Ernie doubted. "You have to admit that that's terrible for team morale."

"Steve Jenkins trusts Isidora and me for some reason," Shadya explained. "He will vote with us. That's all that matters."

"So will Vladimir! And Vladimir's at least easy to get along with," Ernie insisted.

"Ernie, I did not tell you about this plan because I wanted your feedback. I told you about this plan because I felt that you deserved to be let in on the plan," Shadya stated. "Do not change my mind."

"Apologies, m'lord," Ernie grunted.

Shadya sipped her milkshake loudly.

"I thought you didn't believe in eating unhealthy foods," Ernie pointed out.

"After a long workout, it's important to replenish your energy levels. Sugar is incredibly helpful in this regard," Shadya said. "Plus, I knew I was going to be the only person to get one on time."

Ernie gave Shadya an annoyed look.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Ernie:** Augggh, is everyone on this team an idiot except for me? We do not _need_ to get rid of Vladimir, and we do not _need_ to keep Steve Jenkins. This is actually, like, pissing me off. _(He yawns.)_ I need a nap.

**Shadya:** I cannot fathom how Ernie does not grasp the concept that gaining two potential allies is better than not gaining two potential allies. Even if Hugh and Irving are untrustworthy, which they are, helping them out here means a non-zero chance of them wanting to work with us in the event of a potential team shuffle. And if that doesn't happen, we can just vote them out later. Either way, I come out on top.

* * *

Cyan and Kiki both watched something on TV in their team's hangout.

"...I feel like we got off on the wrong foot in this game," Kiki told Cyan.

"Well, you did kind of try to force me into an alliance before even really introducing yourself to me," Cyan admitted.

"I did, and I'm sorry about that," Kiki said. "I've always felt kind of cheated with my experience in House Party, and it's been so long since then, so I wanted to make sure I was going to be able to do well this time. I was hasty."

"Hey, everyone on this team can relate to feeling unsatisfied with what happened last time they played," Cyan assured her. "It's nice that we can just take it easy right now, though."

"Tonight will probably be an elimination round," Kiki figured. "I can't imagine they'd have two non-elimination rounds in a row. We need to stay on our toes."

"Of course," Cyan agreed. "But we can worry about that when it's time to worry about it. The challenge won't be for a couple more hours, at least."

"That is true," Kiki conceded. "I'm just worried about what might happen if we do lose. I'm not comfortable with people like Jean-Marie being here, and I feel like not many people share that sentiment."

"Jean-Marie hasn't bothered me," Cyan said.

"You saw Explore Party, right?" Kiki asked.

"Yeah, but it's been several years since then. People can change in that amount of time," Cyan figured.

"I just don't buy it," Kiki said. "Besides, he's in an alliance with Joseph and Kun, and they could dictate all our potential eliminations if we're not careful."

"You think so?" Cyan responded.

"It's a distinct possibility that I don't want to try and put to the test," Kiki insisted. "Jean-Marie was able to throw most of his team off of his scent in Explore Party, too. Keep that in mind."

"That's true..." Cyan hummed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Cyan:** I was so close to just having a normal friendly conversation with Kiki, but she had to go and make it about trying to get my vote again. That's the difference between Kiki and Joseph for me: Joseph at least wants to hang out just as friends and talk about the game when we have to. I know thinking about the game is important, but so is taking some downtime.

**Kiki:** I _hate_ feeling like I'm not in control. It's how I spent a lot of House Party, and I am not here for a repeat of House Party! I'm here to take control of the game like I was always meant to. I'm throwing Jean-Marie under the bus instead of Joseph because, as repulsive as I find Joseph, it seems like Cyan and Louise get along with him, and I need their votes most of all.

* * *

Steve Jenkins gathered Isidora and Vladimir in his own team's hangout.

"Alright, the gang's all here," Steve Jenkins prefaced. "Minus Shady. Not sure where she is."

"Just tell us the plan so I can go back to reading," Isidora sighed.

"It's got to be Brittany," Steve Jenkins told them. "She had every reason in the world to go home the other night, and she didn't! If that doesn't speak to her abilities in this game, I don't know what does, man."

"To be fair, she was up against Lilith," Isidora pointed out.

"I... agree that we should do something about Brittany, though," Vladimir mentioned. "Not just because I'm the main target right now. Steve Jenkins is right: Brittany could be even harder to take out later if we don't do it now."

"Yeah, you of all people would know," Steve Jenkins encouraged.

"M-Me? I'm not sure what that's supposed to-"

"Okay, dude, everyone knows you're Vladimir," Isidora interrupted. "Constantly claiming otherwise is making me more inclined to want to vote for you than the fact that you're in disguise. _Please_."

Vladimir sighed. "Alright, I'll stop."

"Vladimir's a cooler name than Barry, anyway," Steve Jenkins claimed.

"That is true, but even so, we're going to need more than three votes if we want this to work," Vladimir pointed out. "You mentioned Shadya, but I'm fairly certain that she's working with Brittany. We can't rely on her."

"Last I talked to her, I think she wanted Irving out," Isidora mentioned.

"There we go. Irving's someone we could rope in, and I bet Hugh is, too," Vladimir smiled.

"Honestly? If we can get them, then there could be something to this," Isidora admitted.

"And that's why Steve Jenkins is the best," Steve Jenkins beamed.

"Can we trust Hugh and Irving, though?" Vladimir asked.

"They are lamers, but I don't think anyone else is going to listen," Steve Jenkins claimed. "We'll just have to do what we can with what we've got."

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Vladimir:** Back in Explore Party, I was fortunate enough to be on a team of people who didn't really know what they were doing. It's becoming more and more evident to me that that isn't really the case here. I'm not incredibly confident that this plan to take out Brittany will bear fruit, but I don't really have any other options at the moment. People already want me gone, so I can't imagine I'll be able to make any strong push and get away with it. I really have backed myself into a corner, haven't I? _(he chuckles.)_

**Steve Jenkins:** Steve Jenkins Vlog, July 16th, 2020: The Steve Jenkins Workforce - or SJW for short - is getting bigger! By the time we end up having to vote for someone again, all votes should be against Brittany. Man, I could be a cult leader or something. I'm just too good at getting people to listen to me.

**Isidora:** I don't plan on actually going through with any of this, for the record. I barely trust Vladimir, and Steve Jenkins is not somebody I really feel like going long-term with. I already have allies that I like and trust more, and it would make more sense to stick with them. Of course, I need to keep my options open, so I'll humor these guys for now. They could be a good source of information if nothing else.

* * *

Nolan and Quentin played chess in the board game room of the barcade.

"I keep meaning to ask, but did anything of note happen in Isolation Park?" Nolan inquired. "People have speculated that hidden statues might be there."

Quentin looked around the room to make sure they were alone. "I did find one," Quentin confirmed. "The Genesis Statue. It lets me nullify every vote cast for one person, but I have to use it before the votes are revealed."

"That definitely sounds less overpowered than the ones from Alpha Party," Nolan chuckled. "What interests me is the implication that there are statues modeled after multiple old contestants. Perhaps all the past winners."

"Believe me, I looked for more. This was the only one I could find," Quentin admitted. "Keep in mind that I didn't have food, shelter, or entertainment, so I was dead exhausted throughout most of that whole thing."

"That's understandable," Nolan nodded.

"What about the outside world? Did anything happen while I was gone?" Quentin asked.

"Nothing groundbreaking," Nolan answered. "But then, I'm not privy to a lot of strategy talk. People don't really feel the need to talk to me about that kind of thing when my vote's going to be random anyway."

"I guess that makes sense," Quentin considered.

Frita had entered the room. The boys took notice.

"Hey, Frita! Want to watch me lose to Nolan?" Quentin invited.

Frita sighed and made her way over to the two.

"What brings you to the game room?" Nolan asked Frita.

"I don't know. I'm sorry," Frita sighed.

"Why are you sorry?" Nolan questioned.

"I don't know! I'm sorry!" Frita cringed.

"Hey, it's cool," Quentin assured her. "You're our friend. You don't have to apologize for hanging out with us."

"Oh, that reminds me, actually," Frita brought up. "I think Kiki wants to vote for Jean-Marie if we lose."

"That's a specifically odd pick," Nolan commented.

"She's pretty set on it, and we don't want to split the votes up any more," Frita said.

"Yeah, that makes sense," Quentin nodded. He moved one of his pawns on the chessboard.

"Are you sure that's the move you want to make?" Nolan challenged smugly.

"I'm not going to overthink it," Quentin smiled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Quentin:** I mean, it has to be someone, and if the alliance is leaning that strongly towards voting for JM, I don't feel close enough with him to try and contest it. He is a tricky player, after all.

**Frita:** Quentin was the first ally I made in this game, so if he ends up voting with Kiki and Dalit, I won't be betraying any of them technically. I know I won't have any influence on Nolan, so I'm not going to worry about him. Too much.

**Nolan:** I did an AMA on Reddit shortly after House Party aired, and one question I got a few times was "If you vote based on the roll of a die, then what value are you to your allies?" Fair enough question. What I told them was that I can still relay important information to my allies, and not relay any of their information to others. I made it clear on day one that I was not aligning with Frita and Quentin, so I can feel free to tell Cyan and Louise about what Frita just said. I'm sure they could make good use of the knowledge that Kiki's gunning for Jean-Marie.

* * *

Irving met up with Bailey in her motel room.

"I be flattered that a fair lass such as yourself be inviting me into her room, but I thought that ye were still dating that jailbird," Irving joked.

"Yeah, Brittany warned me you might say something like that," Bailey commented.

"What?! Are ye telling me that I've become predictable! That be the ultimate insult to the Dread Pirate Irving!" Irving cried overdramatically.

"Listen, Hugh was talking to me about how he's getting together some sort of voting bloc against Vladimir, and that you were involved. Is this true?" Bailey asked.

"Aye, it be the truth," Irving confirmed. "I can't imagine ye be too heavily against it, what with ye talking to me about it. Also, ye calling him out the other night."

"I just wanted to make sure all my ducks are in a row," Bailey said. "I don't think it's too out of line for me to be cautious when dealing with anything Hugh is telling me."

"And what makes ye think I not be conspiring with him to trick ye?" Irving questioned.

"I never said I wasn't suspicious of you as well," Bailey answered. "Speaking with you is a good way to help make clear your intentions."

"Gyarharhar! Ye really do be a smart lass, ye do," Irving laughed, impressed. "I do swear from the bottom of me heart that I be fully on board to vote out Vladimir."

"Swearing from the bottom of your heart just makes you sound more suspicious," Bailey claimed.

"Take me words as ye will, lass," Irving shrugged. "But if ye truly want a Vladimir vote to happen, ye may wish to trust me with this one. Especially because trust be a two-way street."

"Hm?" Bailey acknowledged.

"If ye tell me to me face that ye don't trust me, then I should have no reason to trust ye, either," Irving pointed out. "I don't think either of us wants to be distrusted. And I don't think that, in these circumstances, we really benefit from distrusting each other."

Bailey sighed. "Alright. I suppose that's fair. I will trust you for now."

"Ye really do be as sweet as they say," Irving sniffled. "I really think this will help us all in the long run."

"Perhaps," Bailey nodded.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Bailey:** I certainly feel as though Irving needs me far more than I need him. I'm already in a majority alliance which may or may not still include Vladimir. I'm truthfully unsure. But Irving is on the outs, and it sounds like he and Hugh are just trying to buy themselves one more round. I don't see myself making long-term plans with them.

**Irving:** One extra round really be all ye need if ye wish to make it far. If the Pixel Peacocks had lost that last challenge in the premerge, I wouldn't be on the Grand Gryphons if ye catch me drift. Buying any amount of time be invaluable, even if I can't say with confidence that Bailey and I will be best friends anytime soon.

* * *

Joseph and Louise tossed a football back and forth at one of the open fields.

"Bro, it's nice that I can just do this with someone," Joseph grinned.

"What, throw a football?" Louise asked, confused.

"I had no space to do this kind of thing at the testing facility in Virtual Party," Joseph admitted. "Plus, everyone was hella focused on the game and stuff. People didn't want to just chill, they only wanted to talk about the game."

"That sounds like it sucks, yeah," Louise empathized. "My team in Shuffle Party was mostly chill, but they did talk enough about the game that I got lost a lot of the time."

"Honestly!" Joseph agreed. "Bro, JM and Kun will be micromanaging every person's vote on this team with each other, and I'm just sitting there like 'How does this come naturally to you?' I don't know how they do it."

"I feel that. Cyan and I will sit down and talk, and she'll keep talking about how she thinks everyone might vote if the target is whoever," Louise mentioned. "Like, how does she even know any of that?!"

"I mean, I guess it's all hypothetical, but I don't get what good thinking about hypotheticals is supposed to be," Joseph shrugged.

"Elmer tried that with me for a while when we first met, but he picked up pretty quickly that I just don't enjoy that kind of thing," Louise said. "And he respected that and stopped. What a man."

"Elmer sounds like a real bro," Joseph complimented.

"He's definitely more of a JM type than an us type," Louise admitted.

"I mean, JM's still cool," Joseph figured. "Either way, you're a real bro, too."

"You know it," Louise beamed. "And, uh, likewise, of course."

"Hell yeah," Joseph grinned. "Here's to us being no good at the game!"

"Speak for yourself," Louise taunted playfully.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Louise:** Elmer warned me that, since this is All-Stars, I'm going to be expected to get more of a grasp on the game if I want to survive, but honestly? I think people underestimate how valuable just being friendly can be. Plus, if I don't know my way around strategy, I'm less of a threat, right? That's not to say that I won't try to wrap my head around strategy, but I'm not here to be some big mastermind, you know?

**Joseph:** Real talk? I might be vibing more with Louise and Cyan than with Kun and JM. Those dudes are cool and all, but I don't get what they're on about most of the time. Cyan and I have always been good, and Louise is just super chill, and we've got a bunch in common. Could be something to think about, I don't know.

* * *

Brittany and Hugh met up by the Elimination Station.

"Let me guess: you're going to pitch your plan to vote out Vladimir to me?" Brittany guessed.

"Well, I guess I don't have to since you've already figured it out," Hugh sneered. "But are you onboard?

"You aren't the first person to pitch the idea to me, so it's clearly already got traction," Brittany mentioned. "I'm good with the idea."

"You love to hear it," Hugh nodded proudly.

"What I want to know is if you have any plans for after Vladimir goes home," Brittany prompted.

"Well, I was going to build up to it, but since you asked..." Hugh snickered. "You, me, Bailey, and Irving. Secret alliance. We can run this team."

"Huh. That was awfully straightforward," Brittany commented.

"You should know by now, Brit. With me, what you see is what you get," Hugh smirked.

"I'll say," Brittany responded. "What about Ernie? Isn't he a part of your majority against Vladimir?"

"You and Bailey are close, and me and Irving are close," Hugh claimed. "Ernie's close with I guess Isidora, but Isidora doesn't trust me at all, and I don't know what she's been telling him. I can't trust him to trust me. In short, I can't trust him."

"I guess," Brittany conceded. "Well, obviously, I'd have to talk this over with Bailey."

"Forget Bailey! Is this what _you_ want?" Hugh challenged.

"...I want to play this game. I'm going to need as much security as I can get," Brittany said solemnly.

"Nobody will see us coming. Two of this game's biggest heroes teaming up with two of this game's biggest villains. It's going to kick ass!" Hugh grinned.

"You think I'm a hero?" Brittany asked, taken aback a bit.

"Well that's how the show made you look," Hugh said. "Why? Is there anything I should know about?"

"No," Brittany said flatly.

"Keeping secrets, huh? Sneaky. I like it," Hugh snickered.

"I-It's not like that!" Brittany reacted.

Hugh just laughed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** I'm starting to feel more and more like this is a mistake. I mean, Irving is supposed to be Hugh's closest ally, and he mentioned working with Ernie and Isidora, and Hugh wasn't even on _that _page. I want to play the best game I can, and I need safety if I want to, well, keep playing the game. I just hope I don't need to make this decision anytime soon.

**Hugh:** It's not necessarily that I trust Brittany or Bailey, more that I distrust them less than everyone else. I'm on their side, here, after all. I've established why they should trust me. If they don't, then that's their idiocy, and these two are clearly not idiots. I can work this team. I _will_ work this team!

* * *

Dalit angrily foraged for berries in Isolation Park.

"It's not fair. Cyan and Joseph were being unreasonable!" Dalit groaned. "I should be living in the good apartments with the rest of them, and Cyan should be here!"

She inspected the berries in her hand.

"These are safe, yes?" Dalit wondered aloud. "They wouldn't give me not-safe berries, would they?"

Dalit hesitantly ate one of the berries.

"Oh, it's just blueberries," Dalit realized. "Wait, is there berries that look and taste like blueberries but are still poison? Er, _are_ there, rather?"

A bird swooped in and took a couple of berries from Dalit's hand.

"Hey! You give those back! I worked hard to get them, you thief!" Dalit shouted.

She gave chase to the bird.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Dalit:** I still do not understand why it is that Quentin likes birds so much. All they've ever done as far as I know is harass people for no good reason!

* * *

Frita and Quentin remained in the game room and were engaged in a game of Connect Four. Frita stared at the grid intently.

"Sorry, I haven't played this game in forever," Frita sighed. "I want to make sure I'm making the right move."

"Believe me, I'm no chessmaster at this game, either," Quentin chuckled.

"Is that why you're playing against me? Because you think you can beat me?" Frita asked.

"What? No," Quentin told her. "Frita, why won't you believe me when I tell you that you're my friend?"

"Sorry. I know that's annoying," Frita sighed. "I just don't want to get my hopes up only for you to give up on me. I know you don't think it will happen, but it will."

"But you're still hanging out with me," Quentin pointed out. "So you have to believe me on some level, right?"

"I don't know," Frita sighed. She made her move in Connect Four. "I don't get to spend time with others that often. It's why I've tried Total Drama twice, even though I'm probably not going to do well this time, either. I do enjoy it, I just don't expect much to come of anything."

"I think I'm starting to get it?" Quentin supposed. "But no, I really do like hanging out with you and Nolan. And, between you and me, I am willing to work with you and Kiki and Dalit."

"Even though we're in a minority?" Frita asked.

"I have the Genesis Statue, remember?" Quentin reminded her.

"_Bonsoir_," Jean-Marie greeted as he entered the room. "I wish to speak with Quentin alone. Frita, would you please excuse us?"

"Understandable," Frita sighed as she left the room.

"We can finish the game later!" Quentin called to Frita. He turned his attention to Jean-Marie. "What's up, JM?"

"It seems as though the vote is being set up against Kiki," Jean-Marie informed. "I figured you'd like to know."

"But you won't tell Frita?" Quentin asked. "She could be another vote in your favor, right?"

"She's working with Kiki," Jean-Marie said flatly. "I don't foresee her voting against her."

"I guess," Quentin half-responded.

"I believe we have the majority against Kiki," Jean-Marie warned. "It may behoove you not to go against the grain, _non_?"

"True," Quentin said. "Thanks for the heads-up."

"_Pas de problème_," Jean-Marie assured him.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Quentin:** The alliance has managed to keep my involvement with it a secret, which is cool, but now I'm actually kind of torn on how I should approach a potential vote. Do I use my Genesis Statue to save Kiki? Do I turn on her and side with the majority? Do I just lay low and let the targets fall how they may? It's a tough choice.

**Jean-Marie:** Quentin has made an effort to speak with me, so he is someone I could see myself working with. I still have my alliance of five, of course, but it never hurts to have as many allies as you can, especially knowing one of them could turn on you. That can make the difference.

**Frita:** Jean-Marie's probably talking Quentin over to his side. If Quentin was smart, he'd listen to Jean-Marie and turn on our alliance. Even if he does use his statue successfully, it'd just be four against four, and then Nolan. Those odds aren't much better. _(She sighs.)_

* * *

Ernie met up with Vladimir in the Grand Gryphons' garage hangout.

"Alright, I need to, like, level with you," Ernie began. "Like, _real_ talk."

"That doesn't sound good," Vladimir frowned.

"Yeah, Hugh's throwing you under the bus big time," Ernie told him. "See, thing is, that's not how I want things to happen."

"Do we have to worry about Hugh?" Vladimir asked. "We still have our alliance with Shadya, Bailey, Brittany, and Isidora, right?"

"You would think, but Shadya's actually going through with this," Ernie groaned. "So that's her and Hugh for sure, probably Irving and Steve Jenkins too. And then she's probably going to, ya know, pressure the other girls into it."

"I see..." Vladimir said blankly. "I don't suppose you come bearing plans in addition to news?"

"I've wanted Steve Jenkins gone from the word go," Ernie explained. "Bailey and Brittany have expressed interest in the idea. We'd just need one more."

"You and Isidora trust one another, right?" Vladimir asked.

"She's trying to use Steve Jenkins for his vote, or something," Ernie denied. "Irving may be our best bet. Shadya's thrown his name out before, and I can see him wanting in on a blindside against Her Majesty."

"Wow. There's a lot that I haven't been aware of until now," Vladimir said.

"Well yeah, trying to pretend like you're someone without a strategic bone in his body might not have been the best call," Ernie snarked.

"It made a lot of sense on paper," Vladimir admitted.

"Hey, guys," Brittany greeted as she entered the room.

"Brittany. Remember what we talked about yesterday?" Ernie asked.

"You're going to have to be more specific," Brittany admitted.

"About taking out Steve Jenkins," Ernie clarified. "Vladimir here's on board."

"Oh, are we just done pretending he isn't Vladimir?" Brittany asked.

"As far as the other team knows, I'm still Barry," Vladimir smirked. "Anyway, what do you think about the plan? It could put a lot of power in our hands."

"Who else is in on it?" Brittany asked.

"I'm going to reconfirm with Bailey as well," Ernie told her. "And I'm thinking we could talk Irving into it."

"That could actually work," Brittany nodded.

"It'll be nice to actually be able to work with you this time," Vladimir smiled.

"Er, yeah," Brittany said awkwardly.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** If the votes are there, I wouldn't mind voting out Steve Jenkins. I understand the temptation to keep him around as a vote shield, but he doesn't add much to the team other than a bit of physical strength. My only issue with the idea is that I trust Vladimir less than I trust anyone else on this team. How badly do I _need _Steve Jenkins gone before Vladimir? That's the question.

**Vladimir:** I'm not happy with my position at all, and I don't know how much I can trust Ernie or Brittany, but I might need to if I want to stay in this. I'd also like a shot at Isolation Park if I can manage that. The potential of a statue of any sort could be game-changing.

**Ernie:** If you want things done right, do them yourself. It's probably not something I can do two days in a row, because, ya know, it's a whole lot of work. But losing Steve Jenkins is worth it. Not only because he's a headache, not only because Shadya and Isidora are using him for some reason, but because it's a power move. If I can pull this off, then I'm in control once again.

* * *

Kiki and Louise ate lunch at the same table.

"Do you think he actually had milkshakes available?" Louise wondered.

"Whichever option is the cruelest to us is probably what Hatchet did," Kiki figured.

"That's right, you had him as a host when you played," Louise recalled. "So, is Chris better or worse?"

"Better, easily," Kiki answered. "Hatchet is aggressive, insecure, and never seemed like he knew what he was doing. Plus, having Topher and Lindsay keeps things extra grounded."

"Absolutely," Louise agreed.

"I remember actually watching House Party for the first time. The whole thing had such an air of unprofessionalism to it," Kiki said.

"I still liked it," Louise said. "Not every season is going to be perfect, and Total Drama had had a lot of bad seasons before that one. It was alright."

"That is true," Kiki acknowledged. "I hope this one turns out to be good."

"They brought back players that people wanted to see, right?" Louise grinned confidently.

"That's debatable in a lot of cases," Kiki said. "Either way, it is neat to meet people I had watched in other seasons."

"Oh, I know!" Louise gushed. "I always thought you were so cool! Definitely taken out before your time."

"You can say that again," Kiki huffed. "And hey, you're pretty cool, yourself. Maybe we can make the big legacy we were always meant to this time around."

"Hell yeah!" Louise whooped.

"What are we 'hell yeah'-ing about?" Nolan inquired as he joined the two at the lunch table.

"This season being better than House or Shuffle Party," Kiki explained.

"I can get behind that," Nolan agreed. "Our team hasn't lost a challenge yet. I think that bodes pretty well for us."

"It's weird, being on the team that's winning more while Shadya and Steve Jenkins are on the team that's losing more," Louise thought aloud. "Kind of the reverse of Shuffle Party."

"See? This one's already better," Nolan chuckled. "If only we could play with our spouses again, but alas."

"Even if they were even going to consider inviting CJ back, would she do it?" Kiki doubted.

"I highly doubt it, but she knows how much I love this game and was actually really supportive of me coming back," Nolan mentioned.

"What about you, Kiki? Is there anyone special rooting for you back home?" Louise smiled.

"I'm afraid not," Kiki said. "And I'm in no rush to find a husband, either. If things end up falling into place, then great, but I'd rather focus on my education and career."

"What did you say you were studying again?" Nolan asked.

"Psychological therapy," Kiki said. "To help people recover from mental trauma and the like."

"That's so cool!" Louise beamed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Nolan:** I was hoping to talk to Louise about what Frita had clued me in on, but I was never able to get her alone. Eh, I can always get her later. Sometimes it's just nice to take it easy and have a non-game conversation with people, too. Not that there's much game I can really talk, to begin with, since planning is useless to me.

**Kiki:** I'm of the firm belief that people shouldn't have to feel like they can't talk about things that have damaged their mental health. It weighed on me for years, and even though I put my trust in the wrong man, I was still able to overcome my androphobia by taking some chances. I want to help others free themselves from their burdens.

**Louise:** It really is our big second chance! The stakes are even higher this time, and all of us want to win even more than we did last time! Especially on the Fighting Wyverns. Aw man, I'm totally pumped for today's challenge!

* * *

Isidora, Shadya, and Steve Jenkins met up in Steve Jenkins' motel room.

"Alright, Shady, the votes are on," Steve Jenkins grinned. "If we lose again, Brittany is donezo."

"I _beg _your pardon?" Shadya scoffed, annoyed. "Please tell me you haven't been telling people to vote for Brittany."

"He sure has," Isidora mentioned. She smirked. "What's wrong with that? He's our _ally_, you know."

"I've been telling people to vote for Irving. You telling people to vote for Brittany means people will be less likely to listen to me!" Shadya scolded.

"Why the hell are you trying to get people to vote for Irving?" Steve Jenkins asked.

"Because Brittany is also our ally, you dimwit!" Shadya snapped.

"This is the first I'm hearing of it," Steve Jenkins shrugged.

"After how he threw her under the bus the other night, I can't imagine she'd be willing to work with him," Isidora pointed out.

"We got Vladimir on board," Steve Jenkins told Shadya. "We're talking about getting Hugh and Irving on board, too."

"You said you were trying to work with Hugh, right Shadya?" Isidora chuckled.

Shadya shot Isidora a death glare. "I did say that," Shadya confirmed.

"Sounds good! The target is Brittany!" Steve Jenkins boasted. "Man, it's nice having people finally see things the Steve Jenkins way."

Shadya turned around and made her way out of the room. The door slammed as she closed it.

"Tch. She wanted to vote for Irving. Can you believe it?" Steve Jenkins chuckled.

"She's just intimidated by the prospect that she might not be the only big, flashy super player on the team," Isidora dismissed.

"And yet she hasn't tried to do anything about me being here," Steve Jenkins said. "I guess she's _too_ intimidated by me. She has to go for the smaller fries first."

"Obviously," Isidora responded.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Shadya:** Not only has my team lost every challenge thus far, but they refuse to listen to me and my plans! And don't think I didn't pick up on Isidora's snide little quips. She was the person I trusted the most out here! What the hell am I supposed to do if nobody is doing what I tell them and we keep losing as a result?! _(She shouts angrily.)_

**Isidora:** To reiterate: I would rather vote for Irving than Brittany, but I'd rather vote for Vladimir than Irving. I'll have to get Shadya one-on-one later so we can talk about it. Maybe I trust Vladimir more than Irving. I'm still not sure. Either way, this fake alliance with Steve Jenkins is only really good for keeping the target off of me. Which is still valuable, granted, but still.

**Steve Jenkins:** Man, Shady needs to realize that she isn't the only one out here who's playing this game. I don't know why she wants Irving gone over Brittany. I mean, look at the facts: Brittany has won this game, and Irving has not. It's basic math.

* * *

Cyan, Joseph, and Kun hung out in the former's penthouse room.

"You know, I could get used to us winning every challenge," Joseph grinned.

"Yes, it certainly, um, bodes well for us, especially with Shadya on the other team," Kun agreed."

"Do you guys have a grudge from Shuffle Party?" Cyan asked.

"Well, um, we both insisted on leading our team after the first shuffle, and she, um, succeeded in getting the votes against me," Kun said disappointedly. "Not to mention my team before the shuffle lost twice, and hers, um, only lost once. This is a satisfying turnaround, um, if I do say so myself."

"Hell yeah, brother," Joseph encouraged.

"I'd definitely like to stick it to Irving, too," Cyan mentioned. "The way he got me voted out last time was unnecessary!"

"I'm just glad Lilith's already gone," Joseph mentioned. "She is exactly the kind of person I'm talking about when I talk about hoes. I was worried she'd end up messing with my mind again."

"She wasn't pleasant last time I saw her, and she didn't seem pleasant now," Cyan agreed.

"That's the impression I get," Kun nodded.

"Would it be good if we won every challenge until the merge, or would we rather see some of the worse people on this team go?" Joseph asked.

"Um, I'd rather see us succeed no matter what," Kun winced. "To be frank, I don't understand how you could come to any other conclusion."

"Come on, you don't want to get rid of Kiki or Dalit or Frita?" Joseph asked.

"If we win every challenge from now until the merge, then the merge will, in essence, be our team, give or take a couple of people," Kun explained. "We can vote them out at that point with little to no changes."

"What if we have a team swap like Virtual Party and Shuffle Party had?" Cyan asked.

"Oh geez, I hadn't considered that," Kun admitted. "I may need to, um, draw up some more in-depth plans for the future. I-I'll see you guys later."

Kun hastily took his leave from the room.

"I don't know how much longer I can stand Kiki, bro," Joseph admitted. "I'd be fine with us losing if it meant we could drop her soon."

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Cyan:** I honestly don't understand keeping a grudge for as long as Joseph and Kun seem to be. Especially in Joseph's case, since we don't have to worry about Lilith at all. I just want to play a fun game and enjoy myself. Is that so strange?

**Joseph:** I'm not saying I think we should lose, but the sooner we can get rid of someone annoying and unhelpful, the better. We gotta think about our mental health out here, and having Kiki around isn't good for stress levels!

**Kun:** Oh boy, um, I should have prepared for this. I'll need to take any likely outcome of any event into account for the future so that I can be, um, best prepared to lead my team. I don't sleep that much anyway. _(He laughs awkwardly.)_

* * *

Hugh and Irving sat at a table just outside the motel.

"Are we running this team?" Hugh asked as if he already knew the answer to his own question.

"It'd be arrogant to assume so, but we definitely could be if we keep it up," Irving chuckled. "I can't say I be ready to put me game in Bailey's hands yet, but she seems to be open-minded."

"Well, Brittany seems like she's onboard," Hugh boasted. "I'll offer to you what I offered to her: an alliance between the three of us and Bailey, her closest ally."

"If we can successfully get Vladimir out, that could be a very strong crew," Irving figured. "And ye swear that ye can get Shadya to vote for Vladimir?"

"She'd be dumb not to at this point," Hugh figured. "I think she said she was going to talk to Ernie about it, so that's another vote in our favor."

"Huh. Maybe we do be running this team!" Irving laughed.

"I told you not to underestimate me," Hugh said smugly.

Bailey had just left her motel room and made her way down the stairs.

"Hey, Bailey! We're on the same page, right?!" Hugh called.

"Well, that depends," Bailey said. "Your page involves voting for Vladimir, correct?"

"Yep, we're good, just making sure," Hugh confirmed.

"It be a large city. Keeping track of information be more crucial than ever," Irving noted.

"I suppose that is true," Bailey conceded. "Anyone who is not here could be talking about anything at any point in the city. It's... troubling, to say the least."

"That's why I don't overthink it," Hugh claimed. "Unless I've got a reason to worry about my position in the game, I won't bother worrying about my position in the game."

Bailey and Irving shared a glance.

"We've got a majority together. Anyone would be stupid to go against it. We're good, you guys," Hugh snickered.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Irving:** Part of me feels like this may be too good to be true, but so long as Hugh be the one drawing all the attention onto him, methinks I can afford to be a bit reckless in who I trust. And who knows, maybe Bailey and Brittany truly do be willing to work with me! Gyarharhar!

**Bailey:** Is it worth getting rid of Vladimir if it means gaining two potential allies who I'm not sure I can really trust? I still need to talk it over with Brittany, but I'm still leaning towards no. Hugh and Irving are both people I think we could easily turn the vote against. Essentially, they're two free buffer eliminations. Why should I put my own game at risk by associating with them?

**Hugh:** It's nice being on top of the game for once. Back in Alpha Party, I had to claw my way to safety and make sneaky moves to stay alive, but here, all I have to do is rally the troops against some scapegoat and they're just going to do it! _(He laughs.)_

* * *

Dalit searched through the bushes in Isolation Park.

"Kiki said there might be statues hidden around here like the ones in Alpha Party," Dalit thought aloud. "It would be very good and satisfying to actually be able to use one without it getting stolen!"

A bird flew on top of the bush.

"No! Go away! The statue is mine!" Dalit snapped.

The bird glared at her.

She glared at the bird.

The bird glared harder.

Dalit glared even harder.

Dalit felt something plop onto her shoulder. She turned to see another bird had pooped on her. She looked up to see the offending creature perched on a tree branch.

"Hey! This top was expensive, you ingrate!" Dalit roared.

The chirps of the birds sounded like laughter as the two of them flew off.

"Urghhhh... At least I still get my statue," Dalit figured as she searched through the bush.

She searched for a minute and found nothing. Dalit shouted in frustration.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Dalit:** Even if I was not the most helpful in the challenge, I still did not deserve any of this! And I really, truly, undeniably loathe birds! They are dumb, awful animals!

* * *

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay met up with the contestants at McLean Park.

"Let us now reintroduce Dalit into the game after her stay in Isolation Park," Topher mentioned as the fashionista walked back up to the Fighting Wyverns.

"You look awful," Kiki winced. "How bad was it in there?"

Dalit grunted.

"This challenge will test each of you in unique ways. In fact, I'm fairly certain that most of you won't have any experience with this kind of thing. Hehaha," Chris chuckled.

"And here to help explain it is someone who knows a lot about this kind of thing!" Lindsay announced. "Please welcome Ginger, from Total Drama Shuffle Party!"

A young woman with shaggy hair and casual clothes made her way onto the scene, laughing proudly. "Yes, I, Ginger Wakeman! The Eve of Robotics herself!"

"Better than being the Galatea," Isidora commented. Ernie snickered a bit, but no one else on her team reacted with anything more than indifference or visible confusion.

"Alright, listen up!" Ginger called attention. "This challenge will be split into three parts: Brains, Beauty, and Brawn. Each participating player will have to pick one, and there must be three participants from each team in each section."

"Man, how am I supposed to choose?" Steve Jenkins griped.

"The three Brains players will be given instructions on how to put together a battle robot. Don't worry, we've done most of the hard work for you, you just need to put it together into a functional fighting machine," Ginger explained.

"Are we allowed to alter the programming in any way?" Shadya asked.

"_Can_ they?" Lindsay whispered to Chris.

"If that's how they want to spend their time," Chris figured.

"The Beauty players will do what they can to make the robot look good," Ginger continued. "Apply the skin overlay, give it a cool outfit, do whatever. You'll get an advantage based on which team does better in the Brains portion, and you'll be judged on this one too. The winners of the Beauty portion will get an advantage for their team's Brawn portion."

"So, wait, are these going to be, um, sentient robots like you are?" Kun fretted.

"They've been programmed to be about as intelligent as an animal. Their bodies are humanesque, but I wouldn't consider these guys people. Creating people solely to get beat up is pretty screwed," Ginger explained. "Anyway, for the Brawn portion, the three selected players from each team will do battle against the other team's robot. The first team who can successfully shut down their opponent's battle machine will win Invincibility!"

"In a three-on-one battle?" Quentin asked. "The fact that they don't seem to think that's one-sided concerns me."

"Oh, and someone from the Fighting Wyverns will have to sit out!" Lindsay reminded everyone.

"I'll do it," Frita offered.

"Do we, um, have to decide who's sitting out now, or can we decide after allocating who will be participating in each portion of the challenge?" Kun asked the hosting team.

"You all can decide who's doing what first. The only thing is that it can't be Louise since she sat out of the last one," Chris told them. "I'll give you guys a couple of minutes to determine that, and then we can get started!"

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Ernie:** Hm, I wonder if that Chris robot from House Party was as smart as an animal, too. Maybe I'll, ya know, ask Hatchet about it later, if he feels up to talking about it. _(He yawns.)_

**Louise:** So, no matter what we do, we get to do cool robot stuff? Hell yeah! I'm glad I don't have to sit out of this one. It sounds way cooler than the one we had yesterday!

* * *

"I don't have any skills to offer here. I don't want to hold you back," Frita told her team.

"You like drawing violent things, yes? Maybe you can do the Brawn one and do that kind of thing for real," Dalit told her.

"Hm... maybe..." Frita mumbled. "I'm not very strong, though."

"I am! I'm happy to do the Brawn challenge," Louise offered.

"Yes, um, let's begin by figuring out who strongly wishes to partake in a particular, um, part of the challenge," Kun suggested.

"I'm feeling the Brawn challenge, too," Joseph mentioned as he flexed his bicep.

"I will be in the Beauty one. It's only natural," Dalit said.

"I'd like to do that one too," Cyan added, sounding somewhat hesitant as she glanced briefly at Dalit.

"I'd like to play in the Brains portion," Kiki volunteered.

"I'm comfortable in any position," Jean-Marie told his team.

Nolan rolled his die. "I will be in the Beauty section," he announced.

"Alright, that rounds out the Beauty challenge," Kun nodded.

"You might as well do the Brains section, bro," Joseph told Kun. "Only one volunteer so far, and you're pretty smart, right?"

"I didn't want to volunteer for one until everyone got the spot they wanted, but if nobody else feels, um, strongly about it, then I can play in the, um, Brains challenge," Kun figured. "This leaves Frita, Jean-Marie, and Quentin. We still need, um, one Brain and one Brawn."

"You're definitely the smartest and the strongest of us three," Quentin told Jean-Marie.

Jean-Marie turned to Frita. "How comfortable are you in fighting the other team's robot?"

"I don't have to play in this one if you guys don't think I'd be any help," Frita stammered. "Besides, Quentin would probably be more effective in Brawn than I would."

"Yeah, no offense, but I don't think Quentin could hurt a fly," Kiki claimed.

"I'm... not much of a fighter, yeah," Quentin relented. "And I don't think I could do much with building robots or anything, either. I'll be... fine sitting this one out."

"Is that okay with the two of you?" Kun asked Frita and Jean-Marie.

"_Oui_," Jean-Marie agreed.

"I guess..." Frita sighed.

"Alright, so that's Jean-Marie, Kiki, and myself in the Brain team; Cyan, Dalit, and Nolan on the Beauty team, and Frita, Joseph, and Louise on the Brawn team," Kun recapped. "Best of, um, luck to us all."

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Quentin:** I'm getting that feeling that I'm not valuable to my team again. Maybe I'll spend my time off the challenge exercising or something. I want to be able to contribute!

* * *

"The team makeup will be as follows," Shadya preceded. "Bailey, Ernie, and Isidora will do the Brain challenge, Brittany, Hugh, and Steve Jenkins will do the Beauty challenge, and Irving, Vladimir, and I will do the Brawn challenge."

"I see we're done pretending that Barry isn't Vladimir," Isidora noted.

"I'm sorry for trying to deceive you all," Vladimir apologized. "I thought it'd be good for downplaying my threat level, but I clearly misread the room. I hope that now that the air is cleared, we can start to trust each other more easily."

"Mmm," Irving half-responded.

"By the way, what the hell do you mean I'm on Beauty?!" Hugh objected. "I could kick any robot's ass!"

"With that twinkish frame?" Ernie scoffed.

"Twinkish?! I've got an ass that just won't quit and y'all _know _it!" Hugh insisted.

"Relax, man, you're going to be in the same group as Steve Jenkins. We can do this," Steve Jenkins assured him.

"Even if that were the case, Hugh, the three that I selected are clearly the three strongest physical players on this team," Shadya stated. "I carefully selected a layout that will maximize our chances of success."

"I can think of worse picks, I guess," Brittany muttered.

"I think we can win this one," Bailey nodded optimistically.

"This one requires actual skill to win, as opposed to the previous two challenges. We will be winning this one," Shadya claimed.

"The Beauty one is totally subjective! How is that skill?!" Hugh countered.

"Victory hinges on the Brawn portion. Even if we bomb the first two portions, we will still win if we win the Brawn challenge," Shadya explained.

"Us winning the others will still give our team advantages..." Brittany pointed out.

"Perhaps, but don't forget that I'm on the Brawn challenge," Shadya said. "They would need a hell of an advantage to compete with that."

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** So not only am I relegated to the challenge which requires the least skill, not only am I once again lumped into just being good for Beauty, I have to somehow do it with Hugh and Steve Jenkins. Of course, I objected to this in my mind, but I knew I was the only person who would have been fine with me switching over to Brains and having one of them take my place. It's... frustrating, to say the least. _(She sighs exasperatedly.)_

* * *

Jean-Marie, Kiki, Kun, Bailey, Ernie, Isidora, and Topher all met up inside a new building. Each team had an identical workstation as well as a pile of robot parts.

"Alright, contestants! You guys will have two hours to get your robot in functional shape!" Topher announced. "When time is up, your robot will have to partake in several diagnostics. The team whose robot does the best in these diagnostics will earn an advantage for the Beauty portion of this challenge. Your time starts... now!"

"Alright, it looks like we've got, like, instructions here," Ernie mentioned to his teammates as he read from a piece of paper he'd gotten from a table. "This doesn't look too difficult."

"They even let us know which diagnostics we'll be running," Bailey relayed as she read from another piece of paper. "It looks like the robot will have to walk across the room, break a wooden plank, and recognize faces."

"How easy is it to get a machine to recognize a face?" Isidora asked.

"It'd have to be, ya know, doable for idiots like us, right?" Ernie figured. "Besides, Ginger said that someone already did most of the hard work for us, right? I doubt we'll have to, like, program anything."

Isidora had begun searching in some of the drawers at the workstation and took several parts out of it. She placed them on the table. "Well, we might as well stop talking and start trying to figure this out."

"Agreed," Bailey nodded.

Jean-Marie, Kiki, and Kun had already begun emptying their drawers and placing parts on their table.

"Alright, um, our robot needs to be able to walk across the room, break a board, and recognize faces by the end of this challenge," Kun told his teammates.

"That doesn't sound... _too_ difficult?" Kiki thought aloud. "I guess we'll have to see what we're working with, here."

"It looks as though we have assembly instructions we can follow," Jean-Marie revealed as he found a small stack of papers stapled together amongst the robot parts.

"There are definitely more parts we can use than there are parts we need to use," Kiki observed as she glanced back and forth between the assembly instructions and the pile of robot parts.

"I suppose that's, um, part of what makes it a challenge: figuring out what the right parts to use are," Kun deduced. "Let's not waste any more time. Um, let's start by separating each part by function, and if we find something that looks, um, particularly effective, we can set it aside."

"_Oui_," Jean-Marie complied.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Jean-Marie:** We must make sure that this robot is strong enough to win a fight against three people. I've always fancied myself a lover more than a fighter, but even I know that we would need a bulky robot in order to achieve this, especially given how strong some of the Grand Gryphons are.

**Bailey:** I vaguely recall having to analyze the Chris-bot's corpse during the murder trial challenge in House Party, but I don't really remember any details, given that was years ago and only for a brief moment. _(She giggles a bit.)_ Judy would _not_ be a fan of this challenge.

* * *

The groups of three followed the instructions given to them and looked through the piles of robot parts in order to find what they needed.

"Ugh, we need matching arms," Ernie groaned as he looked at the partially-built upper torso of the Grand Gryphons' robot, which had mismatched arms.

"I mean, we don't _need_ them to match," Isidora grunted as she hefted a motherboard onto the workstation table.

"It would, ya know, greatly help," Ernie snarked. "Not just for, like, aesthetic reasons, but so it can, ya know, move and fight properly."

"He's right," Bailey agreed. "Isidora, try finding an arm that matches one of the arms it currently has."

"Can you do it? I'm making sure everything is on the motherboard that needs to be," Isidora excused. "Things like this are generally not as heavy, and I can't exactly exert myself."

"I'll find another arm," Ernie decided. "Isidora, keep up with the motherboard. Bailey, find a good set of legs, I guess."

"A good set of legs? But I'm right over here," Isidora joked dryly.

Bailey and Ernie both gave Isidora a look before resuming work.

"Come on, facial recognition, facial recognition..." Kun muttered to himself as he flipped through the assembly instructions.

"It won't be the end of the world if we don't get facial recognition perfectly," Kiki told him.

"It could, um, make the difference," Kun fretted.

"Why don't we focus on actually building a robot before we worry about things like that?" Kiki insisted firmly.

"You're right," Kun conceded. "Yes, priorities. Thank you, Kiki, I got, um, distracted."

"_Ça arrive aux meilleurs d'entre nous_," Jean-Marie assured him. "Now, this looks like the strongest leg, but the foot is in poor shape. Do you think we'd be able to safely replace it with a foot from another leg?"

"Let me see," Kun offered. He inspected the leg. "I don't see an easy way to do so. What do you think, um, Kiki?"

Kiki looked at the leg. "Yeah, we'd probably be better off going with a less strong leg that has a good foot."

"Alright, go, um, find a better-suited leg," Kun instructed. He returned his attention to the instruction booklet. "Facial recognition, facial recognition..."

"You're getting distracted again," Jean-Marie told him as he took the papers from Kun. "We still need a way to fasten the legs to the body."

"R-Right! I'll go find one right away!" Kun offered.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Isidora:** I can only expend so much energy before it gets to a point where I become a burden. Obviously, I want to avoid being a burden, so I'm doing what I can to be helpful while making sure I don't pass out or something. Carrying heavy robot parts just isn't something I can do, so I'm focusing on the motherboard and stuff like that.

**Kiki:** I don't know if Kun realizes how much of a follower he's acting like. I get the philosophy of wanting to be a leader rather than a boss, so he's taking an active role in the challenge. That's good, but he's following my and Jean-Marie's instructions, and it makes him seem like he was never cut out to be a leader. If only the rest of the team realized this.

* * *

After two hours had passed, the completed robot skeletons stood by their respective teams. Topher and Ginger were on standby.

"Alright, it's time to judge you guys' robots on diagnostics," Topher declared. "We'll start with the walking-across-the-room test."

"Grand Gryphons, begin," Ginger instructed.

"That means you, Greg," Isidora prompted the robot.

"You named it Greg?" Jean-Marie asked.

"What's that an, um, acronym for?" Kun asked.

"Uhhhh... 'Good Robot, 'E's Gonnawin'," Ernie answered.

"Ah," Kiki responded.

Greg made its way across the room with no issue.

"Gotcha, gotcha," Ginger nodded as she watched Greg. "Alright, Fighting Wyverns, your turn."

"What'd you name your robot?" Ernie challenged.

"We, um, didn't, um..." Kun stammered.

"Its name is Jayne," Kiki smirked.

"See, that wasn't necessary," Ernie glared.

"Is that an English-speaking insult I hadn't heard before?" Jean-Marie asked.

"It's Ernie's middle name," Kiki snickered.

"I fail to see the humor in mocking men with feminine names," Jean-Marie mentioned bitterly.

Jayne the robot made its way across the room while everyone was speaking, also with no issue.

"I see, I see," Ginger nodded as she watched Jayne. "Alright, we can proceed to the plank-breaking aspect of diagnostics."

Topher handed a plank of wood to Bailey and one to Kun. "Hold onto this and let your robot break it."

"Wh-What if it breaks me?" Kun stammered.

"That sounds like your problem," Ginger chuckled. "Greg, go!"

Bailey looked at Greg nervously, holding the board in front of her with her arms as outstretched as they could be. Greg recognized what he had to do and palm-struck the board, breaking it in half.

"Not bad," Topher commented. "Jayne, can you match that?"

Jayne snapped its head in Kun's direction and approached him. Kun gulped and held his board out as far in front of him as he could. Jayne punched clean through the board.

"Good form, both of you," Ginger grinned proudly. "Now for the facial recognition. All you have to do is stand side-by-side and introduce yourselves to your robot, then move around in a different order and ask your robot what your name is. We'll start with the Grand Gryphons once again."

The three Grand Gryphons were already standing side-by-side.

"My name is Ernie," Ernie told Greg.

"My name is Bailey," Bailey added.

"And I'm Isidora," Isidora said.

The three moved around in a new order.

"What's my name?" Isidora asked.

"Isidora," Greg answered.

"What is my name?" Bailey asked.

"Bailey," Greg answered.

"And what is my name?" Ernie asked.

"Jayne," Greg answered.

Ernie scowled, his mouth a thin line. Kiki tried her best to contain her laughter.

"Alright, Fighting Wyverns, your turn," Topher prompted.

The three had already formed their line as well.

"My name is, um, Kun," Kun introduced.

"I'm Kiki," Kiki added.

"_Je suis_ Jean-Marie," Jean-Marie said.

"Is he going to be able to understand French?" Kiki whispered.

"My apologies. Force of habit," Jean-Marie winced.

"Let us, um, shuffle, so to speak," Kun told his teammates.

The three moved around to different positions.

"Who am I?" Jean-Marie asked.

"_Je suis_ Jean-Marie," Jayne repeated.

"What is my name?" Kun asked.

"Um, Kun," Jayne mimicked.

"And who am I?" Kiki asked.

"Kiki," Jayne answered.

"Alright, well done, everyone," Ginger grinned. "If you guys with no experience can get at least this much put together, then perhaps organics will easily be able to repair their robotic friends."

"Or easily dismantle them," Ernie pointed out.

"Can it, Jayne," Ginger leered.

Ernie grunted.

"I am sorry," Jayne apologized.

"Well anyway, I think we have reached a conclusion," Topher moved along.

"I believe so, too," Ginger agreed. "...We're thinking of the same team, right?"

"I think so?" Topher began whispering in Ginger's ear.

"Alright, yeah, we're on the same page," Ginger confirmed. "The winners of the Brains portion of the challenge are the Fighting Wyverns."

"Oh, um, neat," Kun smiled.

"What gave them the edge?" Isidora asked, annoyed.

"Jayne was able to recognize everyone's face," Topher explained. "Greg got Ernie mixed up with Jayne."

"I swear to god..." Ernie grumbled.

"The Fighting Wyverns will get an advantage in the Beauty portion of the challenge!" Topher announced. "Good effort, everyone!

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Ernie:** This whole 'Jayne' business is, like, super not necessary. And I'd like to remind the court that Jayne, when spelled with a Y, is absolutely a unisex name. So much for my and Kiki's old friendship. I'll remember this if she, ya know, makes it to the merge.

**Kun:** So far, so good! I really think we can, um, keep up this winning streak. I've got faith that, um, Jayne can see it through to the end for us! Well, and the other members of the team, as well. Everyone's doing their part, just like any good company.

* * *

Cyan, Dalit, Nolan, Jayne, Brittany, Hugh, Steve Jenkins, and Greg met up with Ginger and Lindsay in a different building. Much like the previous portion of the challenge, both teams had identical work stations.

"Alright, Beauty challenge time!" Ginger declared.

"I'm so excited to see what you guys come up with!" Lindsay cheered. "Alright, so for your challenge, you're going to have to make your robot look great! Put the skin on it, give it hair, clothes, its own style!"

"Lindsay and I will judge the fruits of your labor after an hour is up," Ginger told them. "Oh, and since the Fighting Wyverns won an advantage in the Brains portion of the challenge, they get a ten-minute head start.

"Good job, other people from our team who aren't here!" Cyan complimented.

"My name is Jayne," Jayne told the Fighting Wyverns.

"You don't look or sound like a girl robot," Dalit noted.

"I think it's our job to fix that," Nolan reminded her. "I'm Nolan," he introduced himself to the robot.

"Cyan," Cyan introduced.

"Dalit," Dalit said.

"Delete what?" Jayne asked.

"Dalit Lumière," Dalit clarified.

"...'Lumière' not found," Jayne informed.

"What do you mean?! I'm right here!" Dalit snapped.

"Did they give you a name?" Brittany asked Greg.

"His name is Steve Jenkins Jr.," Steve Jenkins decided.

"I was told my name was Greg," Greg informed the three.

"Those are both artard names," Hugh dismissed. "Your name is Laurentius. _That's_ a name that'll strike fear into the hearts of our enemies!"

"What do you think?" Brittany asked Greg unsurely.

"I was told my name was Greg," Greg maintained.

"Alright, let's just keep calling him Greg if that's what he wants," Brittany told her teammates.

"I guess after saying it out loud, implying that he can match up to me doesn't really make any sense," Steve Jenkins figured.

"Laurentius is absolutely his last name, though," Hugh insisted.

"Anyway, I'm Brittany," Brittany introduced.

"The name's Hugh," Hugh told Greg.

"I'm Steve Jenkins. Senior," Steve Jenkins beamed.

"Pleased to meet you," Greg said.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** This robot seems like it's smarter than an animal, but that might just be because it can talk, and most animals can't. Anyway, as expected, working with Hugh and Steve Jenkins is going to test my patience, but I just need to make sure we all stay focused, and we can still win this part of the challenge.

**Dalit:** Our robot is an idiot and I do not like it! Can we vote him out if we lose?!

* * *

"Alright, Jayne, right?" Cyan asked. "Do you want a masculine or feminine look?"

"I don't understand," Jayne responded.

"Do you want to look like a boy or a girl?" Nolan reiterated.

"I don't have a preference," Jayne stated.

"Then we shall make you beautiful!" Dalit beamed.

"I believe that is your purpose today, yes," Jayne agreed.

"I will use everything that Bijou has taught me since I joined her family," Dalit said proudly. "You two can help, too."

"I'm glad," Cyan said flatly.

"Any wisdom to impart unto us?" Nolan inquired.

"First thing's first: we need to find skin for her!" Dalit determined. "Her complexion will de- ...detrem-... decide the colors we use to dress her up!"

"Determine?" Nolan suggested.

"That was the word, yes!" Dalit confirmed.

"I'll always push for as much blue as we can get away with," Cyan mentioned.

"Naturally," Nolan chuckled. He rolled his die. "I will side with you on that."

"We will be using whatever colors work best. I know what I'm doing," Dalit huffed. "If that means no blue, then it means no blue! How many Instagram followers do _you_ all have?!"

"Above average?" Cyan estimated.

"An amount I'm content with," Nolan answered.

"One," Jayne answered.

"What?! You were just born!" Cyan gasped.

"I have already created an account, taken a picture of your other teammates, and posted it," Jayne explained.

"You have internet?" Dalit asked. "Er, we are wasting time! We must make Jayne look gorgeous!"

"You're right. Let's get going!" Cyan encouraged her team.

"Alright, what kind of badass clothes do they have out here?" Hugh asked as he looked through the clothing racks.

"What do you have in mind?" Brittany asked trepidatiously.

"Obviously this robot's going to fight people, so we need to make it look tough, like someone people don't want to mess with," Hugh figured. "Leather jacket, shades, stuff like that."

"Why don't we just give him my clothes?" Steve Jenkins offered. "No one's ever wanted to lay a punch on Steve Jenkins."

"Is that so?" Brittany doubted.

"Doing so would cause the aggressor's fist to shatter. It's not worth the desperate attempt at feeling important to even try," Steve Jenkins claimed.

"Why don't we stick with Hugh's idea for now?" Brittany asked. "As you said, any attempt to imitate you is pathetic, right? That might cause people to want to attack the robot _more_."

"That is true," Steve Jenkins nodded sagely.

"I would appreciate people not wanting to attack me," Greg chimed in.

"It's going to happen regardless, so drop the coward talk!" Hugh scolded. "You need to at least be able to hold off whatever three people they pick until our three people can shut down their robot."

"...I see," Greg complied solemnly. "May I ask why?"

"Because it's the challenge, artard!" Hugh exasperated.

"I do not understand," Greg admitted.

"Hugh, you aren't doing anything to make him want to help us," Brittany sighed.

"Who cares what he wants? Ginger outright said he's just as smart as an animal. He's not a person," Hugh scoffed. "His job is to help us win this challenge. He should be doing what he was programmed to do."

"Oh yeah, I don't know if I mentioned this to you or not," Steve Jenkins said to Greg as he arrived with a skin overlay. "But I'm Steve Jenkins. Yeah, _the_ Steve Jenkins. If you help us win the challenge, you'll be doing me a huge favor."

"Thanks for grabbing that," Brittany told Steve Jenkins. "Here, let's get him on this table so we can put it on him. I imagine it's like putting on a onesie."

"A flesh onesie," Hugh chuckled. "Sounds like the name of a children's metal band."

"Is that a thing?" Steve Jenkins asked as he and Brittany each got one of Greg's legs in the skin overlay.

"Evanescence?" Hugh guessed.

"Hugh, why don't you go check the clothes again while we're helping Greg get in his skin?" Brittany suggested. "The sooner you pick some stuff out, the sooner we can decide on something."

"Yeah, whatever," Hugh responded. Regardless of his attitude, he complied with Brittany's request and headed back to the clothing rack.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Nolan:** It is true that Dalit knows the most about fashion of everyone on the team, but her general abrasiveness makes it hard to want to listen to her, even if it would mean winning. She's someone I can't say I'd be worried about losing to in any game, be it poker, chess, or Total Drama.

**Hugh:** I don't know who Brittany thinks she is, telling me what to do, but it's probably better to focus on getting the challenge done than to fight her on it. I'll let her know who's really in charge later when it really matters! You can't ever let people forget who the boss is!

* * *

The contestants stood in front of two changing rooms, which had their floor-length curtains drawn in order to conceal what may be within them. Lindsay and Ginger were also present.

"Alright, it's time to see what your robots look like! I'm so excited!" Lindsay squealed.

"Can I ask what we're going to be scored on?" Cyan inquired.

"Our completely subjective tastes," Ginger snickered.

"So it's a game of luck, then, eh? Interesting," Nolan grinned.

"Sounds like a pretty easy way to rig it for your favorites," Hugh tsked.

"That's good for us, then!" Steve Jenkins beamed.

"Will Jayne please step out from their changing room?" Ginger commanded.

Jayne emerged from behind the curtain. Despite their masculine frame, they had been given a feminine appearance, as Dalit had suggested. Jayne appeared with braided blonde hair and makeup, wearing a down jacket (a blue one, of course), leggings, and hiking boots.

"Ooh, that's a cute look!" Lindsay complimented.

"Are they going to get in a fight, or go hiking?" Ginger snarked.

"I'm going to get in a fight, remember?" Jayne reminded her.

"Yeah, that's the point of the challenge," Lindsay corroborated.

Ginger wore an annoyed expression. "Will Greg please step out from their changing room?"

Greg emerged from behind the curtain. He had short, dark hair and sunglasses, and wore a leather jacket, denim jeans, and running shoes.

"There is only one Greg," Greg informed Ginger.

"I used 'their' as a gender-neutral singular pronoun," Ginger clarified.

"I am a man. Please refer to me as such," Greg requested.

"Got it," Ginger acquiesced. "Well, you look like you're more ready for a fight than to go mountain climbing, so I'll give you props for that."

"I love it!" Lindsay chirped.

"That's a good sign," Steve Jenkins told his teammates.

"I think Lindsay and I can agree here," Ginger told the contestants.

"The Great Gryphons win the Beauty challenge!" Lindsay announced.

"What?! PrepoSTERous!" Dalit objected.

"Not to be that guy, but you emphasize the second syllable in 'preposterous'," Nolan told her.

"It's alright, guys," Cyan told her teammates. "We can still win this one!"

"You were a great model, Greg," Brittany complimented the robot.

"I knew badass was the way to go," Hugh boasted.

"It seems like it was the right choice," Brittany acknowledged.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Steve Jenkins:** Truly, everything Steve Jenkins touches turns into gold. Our boy Greg has been blessed by myself, so there's no way we're not winning this challenge!

**Cyan:** That jacket was the most tough-girl article of clothing we could find. I think we were too split between Dalit wanting to make Jayne look pretty, and me and Nolan trying to make her look intimidating. At least we were able to find a blue jacket! That's a win in my book!

* * *

Frita, Joseph, Louise, Irving, Shadya, and Vladimir met up with Chris and Ginger in an empty parking garage.

"Alright, everyone, it's time for the final and most important part of the challenge!" Chris announced. "The Brawn challenge, where you will be engaging in a fight against the opposing team's robot. Victory will be declared to the team who can successfully shut down their opponent first."

"Is there any particular switch or button we need to hit?" Shadya asked.

"It's no different from knocking out a human being," Ginger explained.

"That seems kind of... I mean, you said they weren't as smart as humans, but... wow, this is violent," Louise stammered.

"They'll be fine. Any necessary repairs will be made after the challenge," Ginger assured her.

"She may be literally heartless, but she isn't figuratively," Joseph chuckled.

"Actually, I have a system that circulates liquid coolant throughout my body, which can be seen as similar to a cardiovascular system," Ginger corrected him. "I won't bleed as easily as you guys, but to say I have no heart would not be accurate."

Frita gave a slight, fascinated grin.

"Nuts to any of that! Who gets the advantage from the Beauty challenge?" Irving railroaded.

"As a matter of fact, the Grand Gryphons will get a ten-minute head start in this challenge!" Chris announced.

"That could make a difference," Vladimir smiled.

"Each team will be fighting on a different story of the parking garage, so you won't be able to interfere with the other team," Chris added. "Just rely on your own strength and prowess to win. Remember that Invincibility is on the line, here!"

"With my strength and prowess alone, I'd be able to win a one-on-three battle against three robots," Shadya claimed.

"Ye hear that, Vlad? We can just stand back and let her do all the work!" Irving laughed.

"Forget that. We're going to win by working together, right?!" Louise told her team.

"Uh, I mean, uh, I guess, maybe..." Frita stumbled out a response.

"If there's no further ado, let's move you guys to where you'll be fighting," Chris prompted. "Good luck. Hehaha."

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Frita:** How much pain is Ginger capable of feeling? Or any of these robots? They can just be repaired later, so... No, I can't be thinking about that kind of twisted, awful thing! Drawing is my outlet. Drawing is my outlet. Drawing is my outlet.

**Vladimir:** I exercised quite a bit in order to match Barry's body type, so I'd feel good about this challenge even if I didn't have Irving and Shadya helping me out. I could definitely stand to buy some time for myself, too, so I'll do whatever it takes to win this one.

* * *

Irving, Shadya, and Vladimir stood on the third floor of the parking garage.

"Ye landlubbers ever fight a real robot before?" Irving asked as he hopped on his toes a bit in order to psych himself up.

"If arguing with Ginger counts, yes," Shadya answered.

"I'm not really much of a fighter," Vladimir claimed. "But a challenge is a challenge."

The elevator on the other side of the garage dinged, and its doors crept open. Two figures could be seen within from the contestants' position, and the blonde-haired one took their exit from the lift.

"That's our opponent?" Shadya asked. "This should take no time at all."

"I'll make ye walk the plank with a rope 'round yer neck so ye get keelhauled into asphyxiation!" Irving laughed loudly at the approaching figure.

"Can robots choke?" Vladimir questioned.

"Probably not, but it sounded cool in me head," Irving shrugged.

"Fair enough," Vladimir chuckled.

"You are my opponents?" Jayne asked.

"We won't be for long," Shadya snorted.

After a brief pause, Jayne replied. "I have taken a picture and posted it online. My Instagram follower should be excited by this."

"Aw geez, her eyes are cameras," Vladimir fretted.

"You sound worried as if cameras haven't been filming us this entire time," Irving pointed out.

"True... Force of habit," Vladimir explained.

"Let's not waste any more time," Shadya decided as she ran towards Jayne.

Shadya threw a punch at Jayne, who moved their head to the side to dodge. Her follow-up punch also missed, and the one after that as well.

Jayne retaliated with a swift punch in the gut. Shadya doubled over in pain, her face twisted in rage.

"There'll be no more of that!" Irving declared as he landed a hook to Jayne's head, knocking them away from Shadya.

This allowed Vladimir an opportunity to grab Jayne from behind. "Quick! She's struggling!" Vladimir coaxed his teammates, the struggle to hold on evident in his voice.

Meanwhile, Frita, Joseph, and Louise stood on the second floor of the parking garage.

"That ten-minute head start is probably going to make the difference," Frita mentioned. "Should we even bother trying?"

"Of course!" Louise insisted. "Invincibility is on the line, here! Winning this could make all the difference, and we can't win if we don't try!"

"Yeah, we just need to remember how much we want to win," Joseph parroted.

The ping of the elevator focused their attention on the doors to the lift creeping open, revealing what looked from afar to be a tough-looking man.

"Is this our robot?" Louise asked readily as Greg approached them.

"Actually I think it's the other team's robot," Joseph chuckled.

"There's no way we can win this one," Frita fretted.

"It's an unintelligent robot made specifically for us to beat up. We just need to remember that," Louise reminded her.

"Yo, bro! You ready to throw down?" Joseph called out.

"My name is not 'bro'. My name is Greg," Greg corrected.

"Man, you don't turn down the title of 'bro'. Major bro code violation." Joseph shook his head disappointedly.

"Let's go, team!" Louise called as she ran up to Greg.

She reeled her arm back for a punch, which Greg was prepared to catch, only for her to kick Greg in the shin instead.

"Ow," Greg emoted as he bent his leg reflexively.

Joseph punched Greg in the head hard enough that it bent his neck in a strange position. "That one was earned," he said.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Irving:** The Fighting Wyverns were smart to make their robot look like a lass, knowing that most folks would be hesitant to hit a girl. Of course, they forgot to factor one important detail: I ain't most folks! I be the Dread Pirate Irving! _(He laughs.)_

**Louise:** I earned my black belt a few years ago, and while I'm a bit rustier than I'd like to admit, this is definitely the kind of challenge I'm here to do! This robot was made to fight, so I'm expecting it to put up a fight! _Ahyah_! _(She punches the wall, causing it to crack.)_ Shoot, this is the good room, too... Heh... _(She grins, embarrassed.)_

* * *

Jayne continued to struggle against Vladimir's hold on them. Shadya burned a hole in Jayne with her furious glare.

"Nobody gets a hit in on me without receiving a hundred in return," Shadya growled.

"Gyarharhar! Lay it on her, Shadya!" Irving encouraged.

"I prefer gender-neutral pronouns," Jayne mentioned.

"Ah, that's me bad, thanks for letting me know," Irving smiled.

"You're very understanding," Jayne smiled back.

Shadya delivered a powerful punch to Jayne's gut. Since Vladimir was only able to hold Jayne under the arms, they had attempted to kick Shadya in return, but this proved ineffective as Shadya was able to get out of the way.

"They're stronger than they look," Vladimir grunted. "Irving, want to restrain their legs?"

"Wouldn't be me first time," Irving smirked.

"Must you make a joke in response to everything?" Shadya chided.

"It helps improve the general mood," Irving shrugged. "What, do ye _not_ want to be in a good mood?"

"I can be in a good mood after we win," Shadya decided.

Irving grabbed onto Jayne's kicking legs and held them together by the ankles. "They be all yours, Slim Shady!"

"Call me that again, and I'll hit _you_," Shadya threatened.

"Please call her that again," Jayne requested of Irving.

Back on the second floor of the parking garage, Greg cracked his neck back into place after Joseph had punched him.

"Ew," Louise cringed.

"You can snap your skeleton back into place?" Frita asked Greg.

"You can't?" Greg asked.

Frita turned to Joseph and Louise. "Hold him in place. Make sure he cannot move."

"What?" Joseph asked, taken aback a bit.

"Please don't," Greg offered.

The two muscular contestants glanced at each other and silently agreed to ignore Greg's plea. They each grabbed onto one of Greg's arms. Greg struggled and kicked, but Joseph and Louise would not let go.

Frita grabbed onto one of Greg's legs with one hand and slammed her unoccupied elbow into his shin. Greg howled in pain as his shin snapped.

"Frita! What are you doing?!" Louise cried.

"It's okay. It can fix itself," Frita excused with a slight grin.

"We're just trying to shut him down. This isn't an honorable way to fight," Joseph frowned. He let go of Greg, and Louise followed suit, letting Greg drop to the floor.

"How are we supposed to shut it down if it's going to fight back?" Frita questioned. "How are we supposed to shut it down at all without hurting it?"

"Breaking his leg wasn't necessary! Even if he can fix himself, it still clearly hurt a lot!" Louise argued.

"It was always going to get hurt! Just let me have this!" Frita caterwauled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Shadya:** My teammates are idiots. Irving moreso, although Vladimir thinking he could fool anyone with his disguise shows that he isn't very smart, either.

**Joseph:** Geez, I know drawing violent pictures is, like, Frita's thing, but she's never shown herself to be actually violent! I guess Greg being a robot makes it easier for her to... express that? I don't know bro, but it's freaking me the hell out.

* * *

With Vladimir and Irving holding onto Jayne, the robot was unable to fight back when Shadya approached them. Shadya cracked her knuckles before socking Jayne in the face.

"All we have to do is shut you down," Shadya said to Jayne. "If you have the ability to make yourself do so, I suggest doing so if you don't want to keep getting hurt."

"Sadly, I don't have the ability to do so. I guess I'll have to keep getting hurt. Shame," Jayne frowned.

"Pain is temporary," Shadya claimed as she punched Jayne in the face once again.

"If I may," Vladimir offered. "I'm not sure if shutting down a machine is the same as knocking out a person. You might need to be more creative."

"Have you had any experience with robots?" Shadya challenged. "I didn't think so."

Shadya continued to repeatedly punch Jayne in the face.

"Okay, then explain how punching them in the face is going to shut them down," Vladimir challenged.

"I will explain after we win!" Shadya snapped.

"Call me a pessimist, but what if we don't win?" Irving asked.

"Shut up!" Shadya shouted.

Back on the second floor, Greg struggled to stand back up.

"Just hurry up and shut him down. Don't drag it out," Louise implored Frita queasily.

"I have a fun idea," Frita chuckled.

She took Greg's broken shin and snapped it further until she was able to tear it off completely from the break.

"This still seems kind of excessive, bro," Joseph shuddered.

Frita held onto her prize by the ankle and aimed the sharp bone at Greg.

"Please..." Greg frowned.

Frita grinned as she stabbed Greg in the chest with the metal bone of what was Greg's shin. After a small amount of time, a loud bell sound effect rang throughout the room.

"Congratulations, Fighting Wyverns!" Chris's voice announced. "You were the first to successfully shut down your opposing robot! Everyone, meet back up on the ground floor! The others are all already here!"

"Ha... Ha... Ha..." Frita panted. She glanced at Joseph and Louise, who still looked disturbed. Frita's smile immediately dropped and tears filled her eyes. "Oh god..."

"You won the challenge for us," Louise said as she forced herself to smile. "Let's go downstairs."

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Shadya:** Are you serious?! I had the robot restrained and at my mercy and we still lost?! How?! _How_?! On top of that, how has my team managed to uphold a losing streak this consistently?! Ugh, I can at least take some solace in knowing that I can finally get rid of Irving.

**Frita:** _(She is sobbing.)_ This is why I don't open up to people! If I let even a little bit of myself show, it freaks people out!

* * *

Chris, Topher, Lindsay, Ginger, and the nineteen contestants met up on the ground floor of the parking garage.

"Congrats, Fighting Wyverns!" Chris grinned. "You guys have won immunity."

"Greg's going to take some doing to fix, but it shouldn't be too much trouble for me," Ginger grinned.

"Grand Gryphons, if you'll follow me to Elimination Station," Chris coaxed.

"Wait, no!" Frita interrupted. "There's no need for anyone to vote. I'm quitting."

"Wait, what?!" Quentin gasped.

"This was a mistake. I never should have come out here, and I'm sorry for showing up when someone else could have been here instead," Frita cried.

"Frita, sweetie, you don't need to quit," Louise assured her. "What happened in the challenge was... just a side of you I hadn't seen, and it caught me off guard."

"Don't talk down to me!" Frita argued. "I'm a screwed-up, violent freak, and none of you deserve to have to deal with that!"

"So, just to be absolutely sure, Frita, you want to remove yourself from the game?" Chris made sure.

"You cannot leave, Frita! You are my best friend here!" Dalit worried.

"If she wishes to quit, that be her right to decide," Irving reprimanded.

"I'd rather she didn't, but if it's what she really wants..." Quentin frowned.

"Frita. Your decision," Chris prompted impatiently.

Frita sighed. "It'd just be a waste if I quit. I'll at least stick around until I get voted out."

"Cool. Thanks for wasting all our time," Chris said. "Grand Gryphons, follow me. Fighting Wyverns, stick with Topher for the Best/Worst vote."

The losing team followed Chris off the scene.

"Alright, Quentin, you will not be participating in this vote since you did not participate in the challenge," Topher reminded. "Of course, you also cannot be voted for."

"Gotcha," Quentin nodded.

"Everyone else, cast your votes," Topher instructed as Lindsay handed out slips of paper and pencils to everyone.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Bailey:** If Frita didn't want to waste, she probably should have quit so that someone on this team who wants to keep playing doesn't go home. It seems to me like she wants attention more than anything. How sad.

**Jean-Marie:** I don't think this vote had anything to do with who we thought did the best or worst in the challenge. Each of us was only able to witness two of our teammates compete in this one, so how could we objectively pick someone from the entire team?

* * *

After all the votes had been cast and tallied, Topher and Lindsay stood before the Fighting Wyverns.

"I've got the results!" Topher announced.

"This was a heck of a vote!" Lindsay commented.

"The person who got the most votes as the best of the challenge was..." Topher began.

...

...

...

...

...

"Dalit!"

"Ha! Finally, in the penthouse where I belong!" Dalit beamed. "This makes up for the last vote. I am forgiving you all who voted for me as the worst last time."

"I'm, um, not sure how to respond to that," Kun mentioned.

"And now, for the person who was voted as the worst..." Topher continued.

...

...

...

...

...

"To the surprise of no one, Frita, you got the majority vote there."

"Yeah," Frita nodded. "I need some time alone to think about what I did."

"Isn't being alone with your thoughts the last thing you should be doing?" Joseph doubted.

"...Even when I'm punishing myself, I screw it up," Frita sighed.

"Focus on finding a hidden statue," Kiki suggested quietly. "That should take your mind off of things."

"Maybe," Frita figured.

* * *

**Votes:**

**Best:**

Dalit - Frita, Kiki, Nolan

Louise - Cyan, Joseph

Cyan - Louise

Frita - Dalit

Jean-Marie - Kun

Kun - Jean-Marie

**Worst:**

Frita - Cyan, Frita, Jean-Marie, Kiki, Kun, Louise

Jean-Marie - Dalit

Kiki - Joseph

Kun - Nolan

* * *

The Grand Gryphons each took their position at a lectern in the underground room at Elimination Station.

"It is much too soon for us to be back here," Shadya snarled.

"Welcome back to Elimination Station!" Chris told everyone from his elevated seat. "As before, you will have half an hour, or until you've all cast your votes, to discuss amongst yourselves who you want to vote out of the game! When you're ready to vote, press the corresponding face of the person you want to vote for on your podium. And most importantly, have fun! Hehaha."

"I'm having a blast," Isidora remarked.

"Well, I think things should start off, as they always do, with a fresh dose of Steve Jenkins brainpower," Steve Jenkins offered.

"Is that what the kids are calling it these days?" Ernie asked.

"I said it last time, and I'll say it this time," Steve Jenkins grinned. "Brittany's a huge threat, and if any of us wants to win, we'd better get rid of her while we can!"

"What did I do to you, Steve Jenkins?!" Brittany asked exasperatedly. "I wouldn't even call myself a _good_ player, let alone a threat."

"Okay, that be selling yerself a tad short, lass," Irving mentioned. "Ye didn't win by complete accident. Nobody ever has."

"Not even Cameron?" Hugh snickered.

"Cameron won challenges, had a strong alliance, and pissed off as few people as he could," Irving explained. "Sure, it didn't look like he worked all that hard for his win, but nobody avoids elimination consistently without being some kind of threat, whether ye realize it or not."

"Hell yeah, that's another member of the Steve Jenkins Workforce!" Steve Jenkins beamed.

"Hold yer seahorses, cabin boy! I never said that," Irving said.

"_Cabin boy_?!" Steve Jenkins seethed. "I am no mere cabin boy! For you see-"

"Yes, ye be Steve Jenkins, I realize," Irving interrupted. "Now, I've made this no secret, but if it were up to me, it'd be our buddy Vladimir to go home tonight."

"I can't say I don't understand why," Vladimir conceded. "You're willing to latch onto any name as long as it isn't yours, huh?"

"Uh, yeah, that's how the game is played, artard," Hugh scoffed. "Make sure it isn't you going home, no matter what. That's literally how you get to the end!"

"Other than briefly deceiving you all with my identity, for which I apologized and promised not to do again, what harm have I done to any of you?" Vladimir asked.

"People aren't necessarily always targeted for doing harm," Bailey clarified. "Ziggy was harmless, but most of Team Thunder didn't think he contributed enough."

"So you're saying I don't contribute?" Vladimir frowned. "I thought I've done well enough in challenges."

"I'm not saying that you necessarily don't contribute, but..." Bailey trailed off.

"But?" Vladimir challenged.

"Alright, I'll say it," Brittany said. "Your social game has been weak. While you were pretending to be harmless Barry, the rest of us have made some sort of effort to see where each other's minds were at. And this isn't a problem exclusive to this season. I felt similarly about you during Explore Party. Trying to lay low is just making you seem like a non-asset."

"Haha, damn! Brittany going for the jugular!" Hugh cackled.

"If people are going to throw me under the bus for petty reasons, then why should I be above doing the same?" Brittany claimed.

"Alright, but, like, if we're going to talk non-assets, Brittany, how about Steve Jenkins himself?" Ernie brought up.

"Hey, man, that isn't funny!" Steve Jenkins objected. "If you joke about something enough, people might start to believe it, no matter how dumb an idea it is!"

"Alright, enough beating around the bush!" Shadya decided. "The vote is Irving."

"Gyarharhar! Well, that came right the devil out of nowhere!" Irving laughed nervously.

"If anyone on this team is a danger, a threat, it is you," Shadya claimed. "You were one round short of winning your season, and you were instrumental in a lot of the eliminations of your season. Despite this, despite making no effort to hide this, you still managed to get by."

"Well, I could say a lot of the same about ye, so I'm not sure where ye get off accusing me of such things," Irving spat.

"Unlike you, I actually have a strong alliance," Shadya claimed.

"Listen, Shadya, if you think for a second that I'm going to vote for Irving over Vladimir, you're insane," Hugh scoffed. "Irving actually talks to me."

"And if you think I need your vote to get this done, _you're_ insane," Shadya glared. "I already have half the team on my side. Bailey, Brittany, Ernie, Isidora, and Vladimir are all already firmly on my side."

Irving burst into uproarious laughter. "What do ye take me for, Slim Shady?!"

"I told you not to call me that!" Shadya snapped.

"Besides, Shady is my nickname for her!" Steve Jenkins added.

"I don't like it when you call me that either!" Shadya shouted.

"She likes it," Steve Jenkins grinned smugly.

"As I was saying," Irving continued. "If ye expect anyone to believe that you have genuine trust in any of these people, then ye truly do underestimate all of us."

"We are all voting for you. Denial won't fix that," Shadya said firmly.

"Ernie literally threw Steve Jenkins under the bus!" Hugh pointed out.

"Yeah, and I can't help but notice that you didn't list me as an ally!" Steve Jenkins realized. "That's bad manners."

"I still maintain that, ya know, losing Steve Jenkins is our best call," Ernie shrugged.

"I don't care what you maintain," Shadya told him.

"Then what good are you as an ally?" Ernie scoffed. "You yourself didn't even list him as someone you trust."

"...Come on, Isidora, they trust you, say something," Steve Jenkins groaned.

"Me? At what point have I ever been good with speaking?" Isidora asked.

"You got pretty far in Alpha Party," Bailey pointed out. "In fact, if I'm not mistaken, you lasted the most rounds of anyone in this season."

"Are we throwing Isidora under the bus now?" Hugh sneered. "Because I could go for that!"

"Nobody is throwing anyone else under the bus!" Shadya demanded.

"I trust that Isidora is still good with the Steve Jenkins vote," Vladimir smiled.

"Wait, what?!" Steve Jenkins gasped.

"Yeah, she said that she was willing to join me, Ernie, and Brittany in voting for you," Vladimir explained.

"How is telling people that at all going to benefit anyone?" Isidora bemoaned.

"I believe you also said that you planned on getting Hugh and Irving in on it," Vladimir recalled.

"This be the first I've heard of it," Irving claimed.

"Isidora and I can't stand each other. You believed that?" Hugh chuckled.

"He's just trying to take the target off of himself," Isidora groaned. "And onto his ally, I should add."

"Can I ask why I was left out of this move against Steve Jenkins?" Bailey asked.

"I was curious about that, as well," Brittany mentioned.

"You aren't out of the hot seat, Brittany!" Steve Jenkins cried.

He cast his vote.

"Anyone who's with me, vote for Brittany!" Steve Jenkins commanded.

Shadya cast her vote. "The vote is Irving."

"I actually be interested in the Isidora angle," Irving claimed. "She seems to be claiming to work with everybody."

"Plus she's no good in challenges," Hugh snickered.

"Guys, we are not letting Steve Jenkins stick around," Ernie groaned.

He cast his vote.

Isidora cast her vote. "I'm standing with Shadya on this one. I never claimed loyalty to Irving, plus you're throwing me under the bus now, I guess."

Irving cast his vote. "I extend the offer to vote for Isidora."

"What, you're just changing the target mid-elimination?!" Hugh snapped.

"I be nothing if not willing to shake things up!" Irving declared dramatically. "For what fun be the game if things be so predictable?!"

Vladimir cast his vote. "Let the votes fall how they may, I suppose."

Hugh cast his vote. "Fuck it."

This left Bailey and Brittany as the only ones who had yet to vote. They glanced at each other. Bailey nodded, and Brittany nodded in return.

"I have the votes!" Chris announced. He took his phone from his pocket. "I'll reveal the votes one by one. The person with the most votes will be eliminated from Total Drama Party with the Stars!"

Nobody present looked completely sure of what was going to happen.

"First vote... Irving!" Chris read from his phone.

"It happens," Irving figured.

"Second vote... Steve Jenkins!"

"Hey, don't do that!" Steve Jenkins cried.

"Third vote... Brittany!"

Brittany rolled her eyes.

"Fourth vote... Isidora!"

Isidora rolled her eyes harder.

"Fifth vote... Isidora!"

"Seriously?" Isidora groaned.

"Sixth vote... Irving!"

"Keh?" Irving blinked.

"Seventh vote... Isidora!"

"I beg your pardon?" Isidora grunted.

"Eighth vote... Irving!"

"I don't much like the sound of that," Irving gulped.

"We're at three votes for Irving, three votes for Isidora, and one vote each for Brittany and Steve Jenkins," Chris recapped. "The final vote... and the person going home... is..."

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"Isidora!" Chris announced.

"What the hell," Isidora growled. "There was literally nothing I could have done about this."

"Ye could have not tried to form deals with yer entire team," Irving offered.

"If you guys want to get rid of a threat, get rid of Irving," Isidora told her team. "We went into this with, as far as I know, nobody wanting me gone, and now look what happened. He's better than his goofy pirate shtick makes him seem."

"This team is anything but rational. I shouldn't be disappointed in you all, but I am," Shadya said.

"Man, this blows," Steve Jenkins griped. "That's one less big brain on the Steve Jenkins Workforce. Now the jealous haters are going to clap back!"

"Thanks, guys, I'm going to miss you all, too, we were so close," Isidora droned.

"Any further last words before Isidora goes?" Chris asked.

Nobody spoke up.

"What a downgrade of a season," Isidora huffed.

The ceiling opened up, and the Shackle of Shame made its way down, clasping around Isidora's waist. With a yelp of surprise, she was yanked off of the floor and up above ground. Once Isidora was out of sight, the ceiling shut.

"Well, I guess you can do everything right to keep eyes off of you, and it can still amount to nothing! Hehaha!" Chris laughed. "You guys can head back to the elevator and to the motel! I'll see you guys tomorrow!"

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Hugh:** What the hell was that?! We went into this pushing _Vladimir's _name! We had a clear target! Yeah, I wanted Isidora gone eventually, but there was no good reason for Irving to just change the target like that! The artard almost went home because of it! God, that was so needlessly stressful.

**Steve Jenkins:** Tonight sucked! First, we lose the challenge despite our kick-ass robot design, then everyone ignores the obvious Brittany vote, and then they vote out my best ally instead! What gives?! I'm Steve Jenkins, I deserve better than this, me-dammit!

* * *

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay all stood in front of the city limits of Drama City.

"Things sure seem to be descending into deeper and deeper chaos on the Grand Gryphons," Chris grinned. "I guess this is what happens when you fill a team of people who are all determined to get their way."

"I can only imagine what's going to go down now that the Grand Gryphons are fresh off another elimination," Topher grinned. "It seems like Irving's in some pretty hot water, although I've seen him get out of hotter, so who knows what'll happen?"

"That's what I thought about Isidora, and look what happened to her!" Lindsay rebutted. "I don't know if anyone is really safe, especially on that team."

"And that's not to mention the power struggle on the Fighting Wyverns," Chris brought up. "And _that's_ not to mention Frita's freakout."

"The stress seems to be getting to everyone already, and it's only been a couple of days," Topher boasted. "Fun stuff."

"It almost never got that heated when we were playing," Lindsay mentioned to Topher.

"How will Isidora's elimination affect the dynamics of the Grand Gryphons?" Chris asked.

"Will any major upsets happen on the Fighting Wyverns?" Topher asked.

"Did the shake I left in the break room go bad?" Lindsay asked.

"Wait, you actually got one of Chef's shakes?!" Topher asked.

"Yeah?" Lindsay answered. "Didn't you?"

"You'll just have to find out what happens next time, on Total!" Chris began.

"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.

"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison

* * *

**Votes:**

Bailey: Isidora

Brittany: Isidora

Ernie: Steve Jenkins

Hugh: Isidora

Irving: Isidora

Isidora: Irving

Shadya: Irving

Steve Jenkins: Brittany

Vladimir: Irving

* * *

**Grand Gryphons:**

Bailey - The Pragmatic Poet

Brittany - The Loyal Bombshell

Ernie - The Lazy Law Student

Hugh - The Head Villain

Irving - The Chaotic Pirate

Shadya - The Genius Athlete

Steve Jenkins - The Vlog Icon

Vladimir - The Untrustworthy Impostor

_19th: Isidora - The Asocial Bookworm_

_20th: Lilith - The Harbinger of Unrest_

**Fighting Wyverns:**

Cyan - The Sweet Madame Blue

Dalit - The Social Media Model

Frita - The Morbid Artist

Jean-Marie - The Homeless Frenchman

Joseph - The True Bro

Kiki - The Strategic Hipster

Kun - The Awkward Team Leader

Louise - The Friendly PE Teacher

Nolan - The Wildcard Gambler

Quentin - The Lucky Ornithologist

* * *

_A/N: I never had any particularly strong plans for Isidora, I'm afraid. She's someone I knew I wanted to come back, since she was a fan favorite and someone I liked writing back in her original season, but, with an entire team full of big players, there was never going to be room for all of them, and I knew that unfortunately, I would have to make some relatively early cuts, and Isidora was the person I selected to take the fall. Her attempts to play the whole team sadly weren't going to work as well the second time around, and her lack of challenge strength and charisma didn't do her any favors, either. It's sad to see her go, but I'm probably going to feel that way about everyone in this cast._


	6. Ep 05: Avoidance

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay stood at the city limits of Drama City.

"Last time, on Total Drama Party with the Stars!" the three began in unison.

"Everyone was making so many deals, you'd think they were used car salesmen!" Chris joked.

"And they were about as subtle as one, too," Topher chuckled.

"Used car salesmen aren't subtle, though..." Lindsay pointed out.

"...Ernie threw Steve Jenkins under the bus, while Steve Jenkins threw Brittany under the bus," Chris recapped. "Shadya threw Irving under the bus, and Hugh threw Vladimir under the bus."

"The bus had to hit the car wash like three different times," Topher joked.

Lindsay looked more confused.

"Anyway, Jean-Marie tried to talk Quentin over to his side, leaving Quentin unsure of how he should proceed," Chris continued. "Kiki also tried to talk Cyan and Louise over to her side, though Cyan seemed to see right through her. Kun also began fretting over how he should plan in light of a potential team shuffle."

"Better to over-plan than to under-plan," Topher figured. "Of course, you can always be too busy planning to keep your head in the present."

"The challenge saw the teams building a robot and then fighting the other team's robot," Chris explained. "Which led to both Shadya and Frita letting out a more violent side."

"That might be the first time I saw Frita raise her voice," Topher chuckled. "She's clearly suppressing some kind of violent tendencies. Not that I didn't already know that, but _damn_!"

"She seemed really upset about it afterward," Lindsay commented. "She even voted herself into Isolation Park after the Fighting Wisemen won the challenge!"

"She could always find a statue in there. Who knows?" Topher shrugged.

"Of course, this meant that the Grand Gryphons lost once again," Chris mentioned. "Everyone had their own agenda they tried to enforce, and, in the chaos of it all, Isidora's name even came up for the first time after accusations of her playing all sides surfaced."

"That turned out to be the only time her name would come up, though, because Irving decided to jump on the opportunity," Topher said. "The rest of his alliance followed suit, and, thanks to the split vote, that proved to be enough votes to get the bookworm out of the game."

"Hugh seemed to be pretty upset at Irving changing the vote out of nowhere, though," Lindsay pointed out. "And Isidora called him out as someone the others should target right before she left."

"No doubt Isidora's departure will get the rest of the team talking," Chris grinned.

"What's going to happen this time?" Lindsay wondered aloud.

"It's going to be a wild ride, on Total!" Chris began.

"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.

"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison.

* * *

Hugh had invited Irving into his motel room.

"What the fresh hell was that last night?!" Hugh shouted.

"Good morning to ye, too," Irving yawned.

"There was no good reason to just change the target like that in the middle of the discussion!" Hugh chastised. "You almost went home! Do you know how badly that would have screwed me over?!"

"But I didn't go home," Irving grinned.

"Seriously, what possible benefit was there in suddenly flipping the script on Isidora when we had an easy Vladimir vote right there?!" Hugh pressed.

"I thought ye didn't like Isidora," Irving mentioned.

"I didn't, but we could have gotten rid of her next time!" Hugh insisted.

"Well, I felt the same about Vladimir," Irving said. "We were already set on voting for ol' Vlad, and I imagine we feel the same now, aye?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Hugh asked.

"I reckon Isidora'd be somebody who'd be tougher to take out if I didn't take the opportunity," Irving explained. "It was established that she was working with Brittany at the very least."

"And you trusted Brittany to vote for her alongside us?" Hugh doubted. "She had every reason to just vote your ass out last night."

"But she didn't. That be a huge act of trust on her part," Irving boasted.

"Just because it worked doesn't mean it wasn't a huge artard move," Hugh groaned.

"Couldn't have been that bad of a move if it put things far more in our favor," Irving claimed. "Without Isidora here to be the glue keeping all the others together, the team's going to be even more split, methinks. And, as last night proved, that could even give us the majority."

"Just don't do it again. I'm not here to get fucked over by a whim," Hugh scowled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Hugh:** If you're going to take risks, at least take them _before_ we're at elimination! Ugh, Irving's totally letting the funny bullshit he pulled last season get to his head. We get it, you played the golden cube on a team of four, you used another one on Robby, it totally turned the game on its head, but newsflash, Irving, you don't have Invincibility items right now! When will you learn that your actions have consequences!

**Irving:** Keheheh, it sounds to me like Hugh just be jealous that he wasn't in control of the vote last night like he wanted to be. Was it a risky move? Absolutely, but I trusted Brittany and Bailey enough to follow through with it. I've had me one-on-ones with them telling them why they should trust me, and I think last night proved that I be willing to trust them back. Besides, I couldn't see meself working with Isidora anytime soon. Vladimir ain't likely, either, but it be ever-so-slightly more likely.

* * *

Louise and Nolan played a hockey game on the Playstation in their team's hangout, while Cyan watched.

"This is so much harder than real hockey!" Louise complained. "In real hockey, I only have to control one person!"

"There's definitely a learning curve," Nolan told her. "For what it's worth, the last time I played one of these was when I was in elementary school."

"That doesn't make me feel any better, you're still kicking my ass!" Louise reacted.

"I'll play you next, Louise," Cyan offered.

"I'll beat Nolan in something someday, I promise," Louise swore.

"Oh, speaking of games," Nolan began. "Frita let slip yesterday that her alliance is planning on voting for Jean-Marie."

"He's probably the biggest strategic threat of the boys," Cyan figured. "That makes sense."

"What, and I'm not?" Nolan faked offense.

"No," Louise chuckled.

"So, wait, Frita just told you that?" Cyan asked Nolan.

"Back on day one, Quentin tried to get an alliance with me and her together," Nolan explained. "I rolled a die and outright told them that I wasn't going to align with them, but I'll still hang out with them, so I guess they still trust me."

"Do they even know that you're aligned with us?" Louise asked.

"Not to my knowledge," Nolan grinned.

"That could be really helpful for us," Cyan complimented. "Getting information from the other alliance could make the difference between us making the right move or not."

"If I can't guarantee my vote, I need to be able to help my allies in other ways," Nolan figured.

Nolan scored a goal in the video game.

"Help me out by losing to me once in a while," Louise huffed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Cyan:** I actually already knew that they were targeting Jean-Marie since Kiki told me when she tried to rope me into her alliance. But you want to be on good terms with everyone in the game, even if you don't trust them to vote how you want. If people like you, they'll be more hesitant to vote you out. Virtual Party did prove that this isn't a foolproof strategy, but it's not a bad one, either. So yeah, I'll compliment Nolan on his willingness to help me out, even if it isn't much.

**Nolan:** I wonder if I should try to talk to the others that I'm not formally aligned with. Establishing rapport with Dalit and Kiki could reinforce Frita's trust in me, and establishing rapport with JM, Joseph, and Kun could reinforce Cyan's and Louise's trust in me. I do wonder if the word would spread and it'd make me seem less trustworthy, though. Maybe I'll roll a die on it.

**Louise:** I don't see Nolan as necessarily a strong addition to the alliance, but I don't think he's detracting from it, either? He's proven before that he's willing to lie if his dice tell him to, so I'm kind of hesitant to totally trust him, but so far he's given me no strong reason not to. I _will_ beat him in a game someday, though, neither of us is allowed to get voted out until that happens!

* * *

The marquee on Hatchet's Diner read 'Service Without A Smile! Deal With It!'. Within the diner, Ernie and Vladimir ate breakfast together.

"Welp, it looks like, ya know, Isidora's gone. Somehow," Ernie griped.

"I only vaguely trusted her. She's definitely the kind of person who'd be able to easily underplay her skill at the game, and I knew better than to assume that she saw me as any kind of priority ally," Vladimir stated.

"I mean, yeah, but I trusted her a hell of a lot more than I trust most of this team," Ernie said. "What disturbs me is that Irving is the one who led the charge against her. He was supposed to be, like, on the outs. How the hell did he get the votes?"

"He's a tricky customer, that's for sure," Vladimir mused. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to vote him out if we were to lose again?"

"At this point, I can put up with damn Steve Jenkins if it means getting rid of Irving," Ernie admitted. "The fact that Irving went from the bottom to the top right the hell out of nowhere isn't something I want to reward by letting him, ya know, stay."

"That carries a lot of strong implications, you know," Vladimir told him.

"Such as?" Ernie furrowed his brows.

"You're willing to continue working with Shadya, who no doubt wants Irving gone even more now," Vladimir mentioned. "And also that you'd be willing to work with Steve Jenkins."

"How the hell does that last one figure?" Ernie asked. "Steve Jenkins wants Brittany gone. Brittany is... Shit, can we trust Brittany? She and Bailey were probably the other two votes for Isidora."

"We might not be able to trust those two anymore," Vladimir nodded. "I also suspected those two. It makes the most sense."

"Even if it's us two, Shadya, and Steve Jenkins, that'd be a tie," Ernie brought up. "Can we even get anyone to flip? Hugh outright said last night he'd rather keep Irving over you, so I'm doubtful about him."

"You worked with Bailey last season, right?" Vladimir mentioned. "Do you think there's anything there?"

"Ugh, that might be our best option," Ernie conceded. "Brittany called you out pretty bad last night."

"I may need to expand my reach on this team, I'll admit," Vladimir admitted.

"Touch base with Shadya, for sure," Ernie suggested. "She's, like, hella stubborn. Getting on her good side might not be the worst, obnoxious as she is. And Steve Jenkins already trusts you?"

"I believe so," Vladimir confirmed. "We can do this. We've both made it past worse numbers disadvantages."

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Vladimir:** Laying low is simply not an option for me in this season. And I have Brittany to thank for making that clear to me in her attempts to make me look like a target. Thanks, Brittany! _(He chuckles.)_ So I'm going to put together an alliance to counter the alliance that just got Isidora out. Whatever works to keep me in the game.

**Ernie:** Both times we've gone to a vote, I've voted wrong. That's, like, unacceptable. The way the dynamics are fleshing out is, ya know, pretty concerning, too. Vladimir is someone I think I can relatively trust since we're both in similar positions. But then, I felt the same about Bailey and Brittany, and look what happened. I've got to make a choice, that much is for sure.

* * *

Dalit, Kiki, and Quentin hung out in Dalit's penthouse.

"I see this as a metronome for my life," Dalit beamed as she opened a bag of chips. "Yesterday, I had no food, shelter, or friends, and now I am in a good apartment with good food and good friends!"

"You mean a metaphor?" Kiki corrected.

"You knew what I meant! You didn't have to correct me!" Dalit huffed.

"Did you want to keep using the wrong word?" Kiki asked.

"Hey, guys, it's all good," Quentin tried to mediate. "What's important is that we're in a pretty sweet place together."

"I wish I could say the same about the game," Kiki mentioned. "Cyan doesn't seem like she wants to flip at all. Louise, I have no idea, but probably not."

"There is one thing," Quentin mentioned. "Jean-Marie told me that you're the target, and I do have the Genesis statue..."

"Would you really be willing to play it on me?" Kiki asked, surprised yet touched. "Because that could be huge. Game-changing, even!"

"That would still leave us at four against five, isn't it?" Dalit asked.

"Not if one of those five is Nolan," Quentin reminded her. "He could very easily roll to vote for one of the others, and that could give us momentum."

"Ugh, that guy's going to turn this into a game of luck, isn't he?" Kiki grumbled. "And we can't try to turn the vote against him because we need him if we want even a sliver of a chance. For something that's supposed to be a self-imposed challenge, he sure is challenging _my _patience."

"It is not fair that we have to rely entirely on his dice to survive!" Dalit agreed.

"I think you're being a bit tough on him," Quentin said. "He's just having a bit of fun with it. He isn't trying to hurt anyone."

"That doesn't mean he isn't!" Kiki snapped. "...I know Dalit didn't find anything in Isolation Park, but maybe Frita can. That could also be helpful."

"That's true!" Quentin beamed.

"I did my best. I will not apologize," Dalit grunted.

"For now, all we can do is keep winning challenges," Kiki thought aloud. "Let's do whatever we can to make sure we won't have to go to a vote at all."

"I agree!" Dalit smiled.

"I'll do everything I can," Quentin promised unsurely.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kiki:** It's not as though I haven't been in a very similar position before. An opposing, all-male alliance of three featuring a crafty young man who tries and fails to downplay himself, a dumbass who belittles women practically every time he opens his mouth, and a well-meaning yet bumbling soul who just may be more willing to listen to me than I'm giving him credit for. Hm...

**Quentin:** I don't think it'll help us any if we go into this expecting for things to go wrong. You've heard of rose-colored glasses, but that works in reverse, too. If you're always focused on the negatives, then that's all you're going to see. So I'm going to hold on to hope, here. We have a good chance, and that's worth being glad about.

**Dalit:** What's the most annoying about this is that this is two days in a row where I cannot help Frita put care into her appearance. I heard she snapped at Louise and Joseph yesterday, so she might need it now more than ever if she wants people to keep liking her.

* * *

Bailey and Brittany hung out in the Grand Gryphons hangout spot.

"I'm still not sure how much I like what happened last night," Brittany fretted. "I feel like this is just like when I voted for Kristin, just turning on my old alliance out of the blue for a new one. This is what I _didn't_ want for my second time playing."

"If you didn't trust Irving and Hugh, you wouldn't have agreed to go with it, right?" Bailey figured.

"It's true that I wasn't sure where Isidora's loyalties really were, but..." Brittany trailed off.

"Well, there you go," Bailey smiled. "If you weren't sure you could trust her, then you didn't betray her. She gave you a good reason to not want to work with her."

"I... guess?" Brittany figured. "Honestly, yeah, we were at a point where I could genuinely trust Irving and Hugh more than Isidora. Go figure."

"I was in the same boat, you know. That's why I prompted that we go with it," Bailey assured her. "And I think it may be best to stick with them, given we were able to reach a majority last night."

"To be fair, the vote was pretty split," Brittany mentioned.

"We're at eight, now, so if we stick with Hugh and Irving, that'd be half the team," Bailey thought aloud. "But if we flip back to Shadya, Ernie, and Vladimir, we could have an easier majority."

"Do you think they'd trust us after we just blindsided Isidora?" Brittany doubted. "Besides, Shadya and Ernie both pushed pretty hard for different targets, hence the split. That's got me doubting that we should head back to them. They might even still split their votes."

"We shouldn't count on that possibility, but maybe," Bailey figured. "Who would you like to see go next?"

"I'd like to stick back to the Vladimir plan," Brittany answered. "If only because I trust him by far the least out of everyone here."

"That shouldn't be too hard to accomplish," Bailey said. "We'll just need to make sure Irving doesn't flip the script again."

"Did you hear Hugh laying into him in his motel room earlier this morning?" Brittany winced. "Honestly, I wonder if that's going to make things better or worse."

"We'll have time to talk to them," Bailey assured her.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** It seems like now's the time to draw some hard lines in the sand. Bailey was always going to be my ride or die, but Hugh and Irving were the most willing to really engage with me besides her, so I feel the best about sticking with them, in spite of their... quirks. But hey, nobody's perfect, right?

**Bailey:** It's important to not only think about what your plans are, but what everyone else may be planning as well. Nobody's ever won a game of chess without trying to predict what her opponent was going to do next. That's going to play a big factor in how I play this game.

* * *

Jean-Marie, Joseph, and Kun sat at the bar in the barcade. Joseph had a beer in front of him, Jean-Marie had a glass of white wine, and Kun had a black coffee. Working at the bar was Jayne.

"It's nice to, um, see that they've found something for you to do besides be attacked," Kun smiled at Jayne.

"It helps that all three of you placed orders that I know how to carry out," Jayne smiled back. "Cyan had to guide me through making her drink. I'm afraid I do not have infinite knowledge when it comes to alcohol, especially the blue ones."

"Hey, give yourself some credit, bro, if you're as smart as an animal, I couldn't tell," Joseph tried to compliment.

"That is rude, Joseph," Jean-Marie scolded.

"Perhaps the only reason animals haven't run their own bars is because they lack the communication and/or motor ability to do so," Jayne wondered.

"By the way, what's the other robot bro up to?" Joseph asked. "Frita really did a number on him."

"Greg is still undergoing repairs," Jayne relayed.

"Well, I hope his, um, recovery is speedy," Kun gulped. "I heard about what had happened. It, um, made me glad I wasn't there to see it."

"What kind of general refuses to see any combat of his own?" Joseph frowned.

"I'm, um, not a general, I'm just in charge of leading the Fighting Wyverns, to, um, victory in challenges," Kun quavered.

"We are all doing our part to ensure our own success, _non_?" Jean-Marie assured his allies. "Everyone is a gem, beautiful in their own way."

"Alright, I'll take you up on that challenge, how is Lilith beautiful?" Joseph asked.

"Mmm, I do not know Lilith well, but from what I've seen, she is very confident in herself, in her ideals," Jean-Marie smiled. "She does not fear judgment from others, and will lay her soul bare for others to marvel at. Am I incorrect in this assessment?"

"I... I mean, I guess not?" Joseph stammered, confused. "Other than the marveling part. I don't think anyone but you marvels at her."

"You'd be, um, very good in marketing," Kun told Jean-Marie. "You seem to have a natural skill in, um, making anything look good."

"_Mais non,_ anything other than myself," Jean-Marie chuckled bitterly.

"I think you look good," Jayne told Jean-Marie.

"_Merci, cheri_. It does help that I finally have access to a shower," Jean-Marie mentioned.

"Did you not before?" Joseph asked.

"Ah, it seems my tongue has slipped," Jean-Marie apologized. "Well, I suppose I trust you enough to tell you. But I'd rather this stay under wraps."

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Jean-Marie:** Kun's compliment spoke to me. I am so used to playing up the qualities of my old family's products - and of women - yet, I seem to neglect myself. Perhaps this is where I have been going wrong all along. _Non_, I never manipulated others, rather I connected with them so they'd wish to work with me. _C'est intéressant. Je dois y penser davantage._

**Kun:** Huh, I had a feeling that Jean-Marie, um, wasn't in as good of a place as he was in Explore Party, but I didn't expect him to be full-on, um, homeless. He's clearly a smart man, so I wonder if it's that hard for the homeless to work their way up. Once I take over my dad's pencil company, he'll be the first person I, um, interview for a job.

**Joseph:** Jayne's definitely a bro. They can even recognize different brands of beer based on the label, which is good because Dos Equis is way better than damn Budweiser and I won't hear any differently! Bro, it's so cool that robots have come so far. I remember when I was a kid thinking that making a robot friend would never happen in my lifetime. What I wouldn't give to tell young Joseph what was going down, bro.

* * *

Steve Jenkins found Shadya doing crunches in the middle of McLean Park.

"Young lady Slim Shady," Steve Jenkins greeted jovially.

"Oh god, now you're calling me that?" Shadya groaned.

"I've been calling you Shady for years! I'm not about to let Irving just improve upon that like he's any better than me!" Steve Jenkins insisted.

"Leave me alone," Shadya snorted.

"Not a chance. We need to talk serious," Steve Jenkins said.

Shadya sighed. "What?" she asked expectantly.

"What do you mean 'what'? Isidora just got voted out! That's kind of a huge deal!" Steve Jenkins ranted. "We need to do something about it!"

"I've been doing my part. I said to vote for Irving," Shadya stated. "If you want to get back at everyone who voted for her, vote for Irving."

"But doesn't it concern you at least a little that she even left at all?" Steve Jenkins frowned. "Like, yeah, Irving and Hugh voted for her, but so did two other people. That's an alliance of four, it has to be!"

"How does this change what I previously said?" Shadya questioned as she stood up and cracked her neck. "I've done my part. Do yours. Preferably elsewhere."

"Alright, if you're so smart, then who else voted for Isidora?" Steve Jenkins asked.

"If I had to guess, Brittany and Vladimir," Shadya hypothesized.

"No way Vladimir voted for her. We were in a good alliance," Steve Jenkins denied.

"And both of them were supposed to be in an alliance with me _and_ Isidora. Didn't stop them from making a colossally stupid decision," Shadya growled. "Urgh, it's making me even madder just thinking about it."

"Then we need to do something about it! Rally up the rest of the Steve Jenkins Workforce and get enough votes to get even!" Steve Jenkins insisted.

"That leaves Bailey and Ernie as those who are loyal to me," Shadya thought aloud. "I don't trust you to work either of them over, so I'll do what I can with them."

"Oh, ye of little faith." Steve Jenkins shook his head condescendingly. "Lest ye forget, I am, in fact, Steve Jenkins."

"That's why I have little faith," Shadya told him.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Shadya:** Brittany and Vladimir have both proven in Explore Party that they're willing to betray their allies if they think they've found a better option. The grave error that they made is that there is no better option than myself. They will soon learn that. But first: Irving. He's too unreliable of a variable for me to allow him to stay. ...Oh god, am I actually _expecting _another loss? What the hell is wrong with me?

**Steve Jenkins:** Clearly, Hugh and Irving realized that they were on the bottom, and they roped Brittany in once they realized she was the target! I'm not sure why Slim Shady thinks that Vladimir's with them, though. Did she just forget that he was their original target? It was probably Bailey. Sure, she looks all cute and harmless, but that doesn't stop me from absolutely slaying this game, now does it? I'm just saying.

* * *

Frita sat on a tree stump in Isolation Park, weeping.

"I told myself not to get carried away. I can't even listen to myself," Frita sniveled. "Why did I do this why did I do this why did I do this?"

Frita forced herself to stand up.

"Kiki said I should look for statues to keep my mind off of... everything," Frita recalled. "I don't know how that's going to be possible, but I might as well make an attempt. Doing nothing guarantees that I'm worthless. Trying at least gives me a shot at having value, even if it's only a little."

Frita looked around the area.

"...Where do I even start?" Frita asked herself defeatedly. "It could be anywhere. There are so many places to look."

Frita began absentmindedly looking through a nearby bush. Upon finding nothing, she began to cry once again.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Frita:** I think a lot of violent thoughts. I know better by now than to express them because it freaks people out. I guess I figured that the robot wasn't really a person, and I'd been bottling this kind of thing up for so long, and... No, there's no excuse. I'm just messed up, any way you slice it.

* * *

Brittany and Irving ate lunch together.

"I'm glad that the trust I put in yer hands wasn't misplaced, lass," Irving grinned. "Ye will make a fine first mate, methinks. From now on, ye will be 'Mister Brittany'."

"I can't be Ms. Brittany?" Brittany questioned.

"Eh, I guess ye could be a commodore, but that be not quite as piratey," Irving relented.

"Is that a downgrade?" Brittany asked.

"I should say so! Giving up the pirate life to join the Navy! Why did I ever take ye under me wing in the first place?!" Irving reacted.

"I'm... very confused!" Brittany blinked. "I'm not trying to join the Navy!"

"So ye'll join me crew again? Oh, Mister Brittany, I be so glad!" Irving pretended to wipe a tear from his eye.

"...But you do trust me, is what you're getting at," Brittany refocused.

"Oh, aye, without question," Irving chuckled. "I risked me game on it, didn't I?"

"Yeah, I'm still also confused about that," Brittany admitted.

"About what?" Irving asked. "I know I can be quite the enigma."

"So you're doing it on purpose, then?" Brittany asked. "Er, anyway, I'm confused as to why you'd risk your game like that."

"To be frank, I didn't think I'd actually get that many votes last night!" Irving laughed. "I figured it'd lean more against Steve Jenkins, or even ye. I suppose I be underestimating Shadya's influence."

"Either that or people are just going along with her stubbornness because they need her vote," Brittany chuckled.

"Also a distinct possibility," Irving chuckled alongside her.

"I think it'd still be easier to get rid of Vladimir next time we have to vote, but Shadya's someone we can keep in mind for next time," Brittany brought up.

"Works for me," Irving agreed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** I'm still not sure I appreciate being called 'Mister Brittany', but if it leads Irving to trust me further, then I'll take it. The last thing I want is for Irving to pull a big Irving-type move and get rid of me. I do have a target on my back, so it's not out of the realm of possibility. ...Am I sure I don't want to gun for Steve Jenkins?

**Irving:** Of course, I'd rather be winning challenges, especially if the speculation be right, and there be statues in Isolation Park. But it pays to plan ahead. That be what separates the dread pirates from the shark bait.

* * *

Cyan and Joseph played a tabletop card game in the game room.

"Nolan always beats me in this game, so I could use the practice," Cyan told Joseph. "Thanks for playing with me!"

"No prob, bro," Joseph beamed. "Between you and me, I honestly prefer hanging out with you and Louise than with JM and Kun."

"Really?" Cyan asked, a bit surprised.

"You two are hella more fun than those two," Joseph admitted. "I mean, we've been cool for a while, but I'm making fast friends with Louise, too. JM and Kun are alright, but they take things real seriously, you know?"

"Well, it's important to take the game at least a little seriously, but it's important to have fun, too," Cyan figured.

"I mean, yeah, but their serious-to-fun ratio leans too much towards the serious," Joseph rationalized.

"I can feel that," Cyan assured him. "I'm glad to hear you think so highly of me and Louise. Between you and me, having a third person we can both really trust could be really big for all three of our games."

"Like, 'run-the-team' big?" Joseph winked.

"Maaaaybe," Cyan giggled.

"Practicing up for our rematch, eh Cyan?" Nolan pointed out as he approached the table.

"Oh, Nolan!" Cyan jumped. "You startled me."

"Would you mind if I sat in on this one?" Nolan asked. "Even just watching games like this is fun for me."

"Naw, bro, sit down," Joseph invited. "Let's see... I've got enough gold to buy a smithy."

"Then DO it!" Cyan challenged.

"I WILL!" Joseph insisted.

The two shared a laugh as Nolan sat to the side.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Nolan:** I was hoping to get a game in with just Joseph, but Cyan never left us be. Not that there's anything wrong with Cyan, but I feel I should strengthen my one-on-one connections with the rest of the team, so they feel less inclined to vote me out. Those two do seem awfully close, I noticed. Hm.

**Cyan:** I was already aligned with Joseph, but the fact that he trusts me and Louise more than JM and Kun is really flattering. I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make in the long run, but it's sweet nonetheless.

**Joseph:** If it gets to a point where I can't rely on JM and Kun for whatever reason, I want Cyan and Louise to know that I've got their back 100%. I know better than to trust this game _not_ to have some kind of team swap at some point, especially in All-Stars, so you need to expect the unexpected out here.

* * *

Steve Jenkins and Vladimir met up in the latter's motel room.

"What's the haps, Baz?" Steve Jenkins asked.

"You're still calling me Baz?" Vladimir asked.

"I go back and forth in my mind on if you're Baz or Vlad," Steve Jenkins shrugged. "Why are you still in disguise if people know who you are, anyway?"

"Nobody knows who I am," Vladimir grinned darkly. "And nobody ever will."

After a brief pause, Steve Jenkins reached quickly for Vladimir's face, but the master of disguise grabbed his wrist reflexively.

"Alright, geez!" Steve Jenkins relented.

"Next time you might not keep your arm intact," Vladimir informed with narrowed eyes. He let go of Steve Jenkins' wrist. "But anyway, I've invited you into my room so we can talk game."

"Alright, good, because we definitely need to after Isidora left," Steve Jenkins complied. "Personally, I can't see this as anything other than a personal attack towards me from jealous lamers who can't handle the fact that they can never be me!"

"I was talking this over with Ernie, and we both strongly suspect that Bailey and Brittany voted alongside Hugh and Irving to vote Isidora out," Vladimir recapped.

"Yeah, I was talking it over with Shady, and she thinks it was you instead of Bailey for some reason," Steve Jenkins chuckled.

"Well, that's not good," Vladimir frowned. "My plan going forward was to get you, Ernie, and Shadya on the same page so we can just get rid of Irving."

"Why does it have to be Irving? What about Brittany?" Steve Jenkins objected.

"We can get rid of Brittany after Irving," Vladimir maintained. "Believe me, I have firsthand experience with Brittany. She's a sneaky player, sure, but Irving is the type who will end someone's game on a whim, and somehow keep getting away with it."

"That sounds like the same thing as Brittany but with more words," Steve Jenkins groused. "I'm telling you, we can't underestimate Brittany. I don't understand how everyone keeps acting like she isn't a threat!"

"She is a threat, but I, and Shadya for that matter, think Irving is more of a threat," Vladimir clarified.

"I'm not buying it," Steve Jenkins doubted.

In the next motel room over, Hugh had put a drinking glass up against the wall and was listening intently.

"Veeeery interesting," Hugh snickered.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Steve Jenkins:** What kind of pushover does Vlad take me for?! I'm not just your average, run-of-the-mill supermodel vlogger fan-favorite game changer. I'm Steve Jenkins, bitch! You are _not_ better than me, no matter who you dress up as! You could disguise yourself as Steve Jenkins and wouldn't gain a shred of my charisma!

**Vladimir:** Steve Jenkins' threat-crush on Brittany is proving to be more of an obstacle than I'd anticipated. Ordinarily, I'd be fine just shifting the target to Brittany, but I don't think Shadya would go for it. Having to rely on two of the most narcissistic people to ever play this game is going to be... a challenge.

**Hugh:** I think I may have just found a potential fifth vote for us to avoid a tie. Keheheheh. I truly am _the_ villain of this game!

* * *

Kiki found Kun sitting at one of the garden tables at McLean Park, writing something down.

"Kun. May we speak?" Kiki offered.

"Oh, um, well..." Kun panicked a bit as he shut his notebook. "Of course. How can I, um, help you, Kiki?"

Kiki glanced suspiciously at the notebook but returned her attention to Kun. "So, I've heard through the grapevine that you're getting the votes against me."

"I- I mean- Well- The-!" Kun stammered.

"I'm not mad. I just want to negotiate," Kiki told him.

Kun swallowed a lump in his throat. "What do you, um, want?"

"Well, I had to have heard about you targeting me from someone, right?" Kiki mentioned. "I've got no respect for people who are willing to throw their ally under the bus like that, though, so I'm inviting you to help me vote out Jean-Marie."

"J-Jean-Marie?" Kun asked. "Why would he, um, tell you that?"

"Isn't it obvious? He's playing both sides so that nobody wants to target him," Kiki fibbed. "He knows he can't flirt his way into getting a harem to follow him, so he's gaining favor in a different way."

"Well, um, Kiki, I had extended the offer for us to work together at the start of the game, and you, um, refused that offer," Kun explained.

"So what? Is your pride in that regard really worth turning down an offer to eliminate someone untrustworthy from your team?" Kiki challenged.

"It showcases you as someone who is, um, not as willing to work with me as Jean-Marie is," Kun frowned.

"I am literally approaching you to ask to work together!" Kiki snapped. She took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Kiki, but, um, when a good business opportunity comes up, you shouldn't pass it up until your company is in danger," Kun lectured. "Unless you have something to offer me that the others, um, don't, I have no incentive to, um, consider this."

Kiki's fists clenched and her face contorted in rage.

"Think fast!" a voice called from afar.

"Huh?" Kun was not able to think fast, and was pelted in the chest with a football. "Ow..."

"Sorry!" Louise apologized as she ran up to the two. "You guys want to throw the ball around? It's good to stay active every day, especially when we're on a winning streak!"

"I'm not very good at that kind of thing, but you two have fun," Kiki declined as she walked off.

"Yes, um, allow me a minute to recover from getting hit," Kun told Louise.

"You're worn out just from that?!" Louise gasped.

"I don't exercise a lot," Kun wheezed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kiki:** Of course, why should Kun have any reason to believe that one of the most cutthroat players on this team would have any reason to betray him?! Just because I turned down his offer to work together before, I have to be lying and out to get him! Ugh, his stupid ego. This team is killing me!

**Kun:** It's not as though I, um, believe there's no chance whatsoever that Jean-Marie could have sold me out, but, simply looking at the numbers, there's no reason to worry about him defecting to Kiki's side. Doing so would only put one at, um, a horrible disadvantage. Besides, it's not as though Kiki can, um, do anything about knowing she's a target.

**Louise:** What kind of leader exhausts himself so easily? Or isn't even able to think fast, for that matter? Kun really needs to put less focus on overthinking the game and more focus on keeping himself healthy and physically active, or else he's never going to be sharp enough to lead a company!

* * *

Shadya had gathered Bailey and Ernie into her motel room.

"We have a situation on our hands, here," Shadya prefaced.

"Yeah, I hate when I get hangnails, too," Ernie said.

"Why did you specifically invite me and Ernie?" Bailey wondered. "What about the others?"

"The others, we cannot trust," Shadya grunted. "I believe that Brittany and Vladimir were two of the four votes to eliminate Isidora last night."

"Is that so?" Ernie asked as he skeptically side-eyed Bailey. "How do you know it's the two of them, like, specifically?"

"Because both of them were established targets, and both of them are established opportunists," Shadya explained. "They knew that their games were on the line, so they took advantage of someone else being a target."

"What should we do about it?" Bailey asked.

"We keep our votes against Irving, of course," Shadya maintained. "He was one of the people who pushed for Isidora to go, and, between him and Hugh, I'm not as worried about Hugh gaining any traction against us."

"That makes sense," Bailey nodded.

"I was actually just, like, talking to Vladimir earlier today, and he said he'd be good with an Irving vote," Ernie brought up.

"I'm on board with this idea as well," Bailey nodded.

"Excellent. No need to waste further time," Shadya smirked. "Now please leave me be. I haven't gotten started on any of my fifty-seven daily puzzle books today."

Bailey and Ernie made their way out of Shadya's room.

"I'm onto you," Ernie told Bailey once the door closed behind them.

"What do you mean?" Bailey asked. The two made their way down towards the outside table.

"I know that, ya know, you were the other vote against Isidora, not Vladimir," Ernie leered.

"You don't think Vladimir voted for her? He was the one who pointed out that she was working with everyone in the first place," Bailey frowned.

"Do you think I haven't, like, noticed how close you and Brittany are?" Ernie scoffed. "Or how not-close Brittany and Vladimir are? Hell, Brittany, like, threw Vlad under the bus hard last night, too. Appearances don't mean anything."

"Well, I would appreciate it if you didn't go spreading false rumors about me being disloyal," Bailey frowned.

"I won't have to if I have reason to believe that you are loyal," Ernie sneered.

"So you're blackmailing me." Bailey folded her arms.

"After you, ya know, voted out our mutual ally, I can't say I feel too bad for you," Ernie mentioned. "But hey, if you vote for Irving, I won't, like, have to tell Shadya anything."

"I see," Bailey frowned. "I was hoping we could continue our friendlier game relationship from House Party."

"Then you shouldn't have backstabbed Isidora," Ernie scoffed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Ernie: **If Bailey is going to, like, screw me over so she can go rub elbows with _Hugh_, then no, I won't play nice with her. She knows how to, ya know, play the game. So let's play.

**Bailey:** I wonder if I could shift the alliance's target from Vladimir to Ernie. If Irving can do so on a whim, then surely I should be able to as well. It's either that, or I betray my current alliance and comply with Ernie's terms, and that's not something I really want to do. I will not be threatened like this.

**Shadya:** It's important to keep everyone focused. A lack of focus is what led to the split in votes that ended with Isidora leaving. If what Ernie says is true, then, with Vladimir, we should have five votes against Irving, but I do not trust Vladimir. I will have to confirm this for myself.

* * *

Jean-Marie and Quentin had just finished playing a game against each other at the arcade.

"I would not expect someone as peaceful as yourself to be such a fan of a game where two people fight one another," Jean-Marie commented.

"I wouldn't think so either, but I don't know, something about the inner relationship you start to feel with your opponent, the drive they give you to improve... It just clicks with me," Quentin chuckled.

"What a lovely sentiment," Jean-Marie complimented. "Are you the type of person who always strives to improve?"

"Not as much as I'd like, but I'm making more of an effort right now because I feel like I'm not contributing enough to challenges," Quentin answered. "While I was sitting out of yesterday's challenge, I did a bunch of push-ups and ran laps around McLean Park."

"How commendable," Jean-Marie smiled.

"Haha. Thanks, I try," Quentin blushed.

"So, have I clicked with you during our matches in the video game?" Jean-Marie asked.

"Maybe a bit. I probably oversold it by describing it like that," Quentin chuckled.

"I was hoping for us to be able to help one another in this game through an alliance," Jean-Marie offered.

"Well, more alliances never hurt anyone, right?" Quentin figured.

"'More'?" Jean-Marie questioned.

"Uh, well, I mean, that was referring to-" Quentin stammered.

"Quentin!" Dalit called from across the room. "Do not poison your mind with Jean-Marie's manipulatings!"

"Dalit, may I please play the game without you breathing down my neck?" Jean-Marie tutted.

"I will not have anyone fooled by false friends!" Dalit insisted as she marched up to the two. "That is how I lost the game before, and it's how so many others lost the game!"

"Myself included," Jean-Marie reminded her.

"But you were a false friend to others first!" Dalit accused.

"_Mais non_, I was not," Jean-Marie denied. "Flirting does not automatically mean I didn't enjoy spending time with Brittany, Angie, and Kristin."

"I'm going to grab a soda and head back to my room," Quentin mentioned quietly as he slipped away.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Jean-Marie:** It is making an increasing amount of sense that Quentin is likely already a member of Kiki's alliance and that they were hiding this fact. _Très intelligent_. I can only hope this means that he has not leaked to her the fact that I am targeting her. However, I can also sense genuine trust within him, so who can say for sure what will happen?

**Dalit:** It furiates me that Jean-Marie keeps trying to claim that he is like me when that is not further from the truth! He is a snake, sneaking on his prey, where I am a butterfly, a beautiful creature who everyone loves without needing to lie! Snakes and butterflies are not the same!

**Quentin:** Dang, JM's so good at flirting that I'm almost starting to feel attracted to him. Haha. ...It might not be 'almost'. That's something I'm going to have to sit on. For now, I should be worried that I accidentally told him I already have an alliance other than him. That might not end so well. _(He sighs disappointedly.)_

* * *

Back in the building where the contestants had put together the robots, Ginger did repairs on Greg alongside a shaggy-haired young man. Lindsay entered the room holding a pitcher and some paper cups.

"I brought lemonade!" Lindsay announced.

"Are you getting thirsty, Godfrey?" Ginger asked the man next to her.

"I could go for a drink," Godfrey told her.

"Knock yourself out," Ginger allowed. She glanced at Lindsay. "Why'd you bring more than one cup? You know I still can't taste, right?"

"I didn't want to assume you wouldn't want some and not have a cup in case you did," Lindsay frowned.

"She's just being considerate," Godfrey backed up.

"...Thanks, I guess," Ginger said before returning her attention to Greg.

"Thank _you guys_ for contributing so much to this season, even if you aren't playing," Lindsay smiled.

"It is my dream and hers to integrate robots into organic society," Godfrey grinned. "And this show has been a big help with that. Of course we're willing to do our part in return."

"I'm still not incredibly keen on everyone's first impressions of Greg and Jayne being in use as someone they should be beating up," Ginger mentioned.

"Jayne is getting along great with the contestants now that that's all over," Lindsay told her. "And I bet Greg can do the same!"

"It's just a challenge. People realize that," Godfrey assured Ginger.

"People wouldn't be as into it if they were organic, is all I'm saying," Ginger mentioned.

"Please," Godfrey doubted. "You're always boasting about how robots are so much easier to repair than organics, and the military applications that that implies."

"That's different," Ginger insisted.

"How? These are lower-intelligence robots, like the military ones we've proposed," Godfrey told her.

"Oh, they are? I'd forgotten," Ginger recalled. "Disregard my previous sentiment."

"How was that a low-priority memory and the entirety of The George Lopez Show isn't?" Godfrey questioned.

"Does being not smart mean you don't matter as much?" Lindsay frowned.

"Like, not every episode is worth keeping," Godfrey continued.

"Have you ever eaten octopus?" Ginger asked Lindsay.

"I love sushi!" Lindsay gushed.

"Greg and Jayne are about as smart as an octopus," Ginger explained. "They are similar to pets, who just look and talk like people."

"That sounds weird and I don't like it!" Lindsay cried.

"It's... very complicated," Godfrey told her as he sipped his lemonade. "Ginger and I have talked about this a lot. To keep a very long conversation short: if she's okay with it, then I'm fine with it."

Lindsay looked unsure.

* * *

Later that day, Chris, Topher, and Lindsay met up with the contestants at McLean Park.

"Let's now reintroduce Frita from Isolation Park!" Chris announced.

The dour girl returned to her team for the first time that day.

"Hey," Quentin smiled at her.

"Mm," Frita half-responded.

"Alright, everyone, today's challenge is going to be another reward challenge. Meaning nobody is going home tonight!" Topher announced.

Most of the contestants looked at least a little relieved at this news.

"Follow us to where the challenge will be taking place!" Lindsay suggested.

"What? Why couldn't we have just met up there?!" Ernie complained.

"Everyone knows where McLean Park is. I doubt anyone would be able to pick out wherever we're going to by name alone," Bailey figured.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kiki:** No elimination tonight means that, even if we lose, I still have time to work things in my favor. Dalit told me that Jean-Marie is trying to get his hooks into Quentin's mind, and I need to do something about that asap!

**Irving:** See, I told ye getting rid of Isidora first be the best idea! Now we be better equipped for a challenge, and she doesn't get a free day to keep convincing people she be worth keeping. That's why I be the captain. Keheheh.

* * *

The contestants were led to a building with a gymnasium inside. Standing in the center of the gymnasium was a muscular blond man.

"Alright, everyone, I hope you guys are ready for some dodgeball," the blond grinned.

"Dodgeball?" Kun gulped.

"That's what Mondo said!" Chris chuckled.

"Explain the challenge for us, my man," Topher requested of Mondo.

"Will do," Mondo nodded. "Each team will send in five players per game. At the start of the game, you'll be touching the walls, and the dodgeballs will be placed down the centerline. On the whistle, the game will start. Your goal is to hit all your opponents by throwing a ball. If you're hit, you're out. If you _catch_ the ball, then the person who threw it is out, and you can bring someone who was taken out back into the game. Once all players are out on one side, the other side wins that game. We'll be playing best two out of three."

"Ah, I did miss your natural charisma," Hugh commented.

"Likewise," Mondo leered.

"What's the reward for winning?" Bailey asked.

"The team who wins the challenge will get one pass that allows them a visit to the Drama City Day Spa for all its members," Mondo smiled. "As a bonus, if you're voted out without having used your pass, you may give it to a teammate before you go. Oh, and before I forget, all contestants who are competing in this challenge must play in at least one game. Also, two Fighting Wyverns will have to sit out of this challenge entirely, and Quentin cannot be one of them."

The Fighting Wyverns talked it over for a few moments.

"Frita and me will not be playing at this one," Dalit informed.

"Alright! If there's no further ado, let's get the first game going!" Chris announced.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Dalit:** Chris said that Frita and me could go be somewhere else as long as we're back before the challenge is over! Finally, I can teach her about how to do her hair! After spending all night in the park, she can use the knowledge.

**Frita:** I still needed time to clear my head, so this works out for me. I'd rather have Dalit try to convince me that makeup will... make up for my awful personality than to let that awful personality showcase itself even more.

* * *

On the Grand Gryphons' side of the court, Brittany, Irving, Shadya, Steve Jenkins, and Vladimir took their spots. On the Fighting Wyverns' side, Cyan, Jean-Marie, Kiki, Kun, and Louise took their spots. The five dodgeballs had been lined up in the center.

"On your marks... get set..." Chris built up. "GO!"

The ten players ran up to the balls as quickly as they could. Irving, Shadya, Vladimir, Cyan, and Louise all managed to grab one.

Shadya immediately threw a ball at Jean-Marie, who was unable to stop the impending object. The ball hit him in the chest.

"Ow," Jean-Marie frowned.

With the blow of a whistle from Mondo, Jean-Marie was prompted to sit at the bleachers.

Louise ran to retrieve the ball as quickly as she could. She passed the ball to Kun, who stood nearby, and deflected an incoming ball with the one she was already holding. The deflected ball hit Steve Jenkins on the forehead.

"Hey! Watch the face, I need it!" Steve Jenkins accused.

Mondo blew the whistle.

"What, that _counts_?!" Steve Jenkins objected.

"The game is called dodgeball. If you can't dodge the ball, then you lose," Mondo maintained.

"Absolute lamer," Steve Jenkins grumbled as he went to the bleachers.

"I've been called worse," Mondo shrugged off.

Shadya grabbed the ball that hit Steve Jenkins. She turned her attention to Irving, who was staring down Cyan as the two had their balls at the ready.

"Irving," Cyan leered.

"Cyan," Irving grinned.

Both of them were hit by dodgeballs.

"Probably should have seen that coming," Irving figured.

"Yeah, I'll own up to that," Cyan agreed.

The two took their spots at the bleachers.

Brittany and Shadya claimed the two free balls on the Grand Gryphons' side, while Kiki and Louise claimed the two free balls on the Fighting Wyverns' side. This left Vladimir as the only one on the court without a ball.

"Don't throw it at Vladimir. He could, um, catch it," Kun reminded his teammates.

"Yeah, I wouldn't have guessed," Kiki snipped.

"Hey. Teamwork makes the dream work," Louise told Kiki.

"He was talking down to me!" Kiki excused.

Using the ball she was holding, Louise deflected a ball that was headed towards Kiki. "Focus on winning!"

Kun threw his ball at Brittany, who dodged the ball with little effort.

"If you're trying to make it look like you aren't throwing the challenge, it isn't working," Brittany told him.

"I would never... um... do such a thing!" Kun panted.

Vladimir grabbed the ball Kun had thrown and launched it back at him. Kun reflexively shielded his face, which did nothing to prevent him from getting hit in the gut. Mondo blew his whistle. This victory did not last long, as Louise hit Vladimir with her own ball shortly after, prompting another whistle blow.

"You focus on Louise. I'll focus on Kiki," Shadya told Brittany.

"Alright," Brittany complied.

"You heard them, right?" Kiki asked Louise quietly.

"No, but how hard is it going to be to dodge?" Louise chuckled. She barely managed to dodge an incoming ball. "Haha. See?"

Kiki had her eyes focused on Shadya.

"You cannot escape. I will make you physically aware of that," Shadya told Kiki coldly.

Kiki froze up, and Shadya was easily able to take her out. Mondo blew his whistle. Kiki, hugging her body, returned to the bleachers.

"Are you, um, feeling alright?" Kun asked her.

Kiki shook her head. Her eyes stayed glued to the floor. Kun looked at her with concern but pressed her no further.

Louise danced back and forth on her feet as she stared down her two opponents.

"We both throw our balls at her at the same time," Shadya told Brittany quietly.

Brittany dodged an incoming ball. "Gotcha."

Shadya deflected another incoming ball. "Now!"

Brittany and Shadya both threw their balls at Louise. Louise dodged the first ball but ended up dodging directly into the second ball. Mondo blew his whistle.

"The Grand Gryphons win Round One!" Mondo announced.

"That is the correct outcome!" Shadya half-boasted, half-cheered.

"We haven't won the challenge yet. We can't cheer yet," Brittany reminded her.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** Between you and me, I'm glad that we get a challenge where Shadya can safely take out her pent-up frustration with us losing. I was starting to get a little worried about her.

**Kiki:** There is no shame in feeling uncomfortable when traumatic memories resurface, but I wish it didn't happen in the middle of a challenge. I-I can't let the other team take advantage of me like that! I cannot let _anyone _take advantage of me!

* * *

"Decide who's going to be playing in Round Two!" Chris instructed the teams. "As a reminder, Bailey, Ernie, and Hugh have to play for the Grand Gryphons, and Joseph, Nolan, and Quentin have to play for the Fighting Wyverns."

"I deserve another chance!" Steve Jenkins asserted to his team.

"Well, I'm convinced," Ernie remarked.

"I have no reason to believe that you won't fail me again," Shadya told him. "Brittany and I will be playing this round again."

"Do... I get a say in this?" Brittany asked.

"If the lass doesn't wish to play again, I be willing to step in," Irving offered. "I'll even keep me distance from Cyan."

"You can't just ignore a request from Steve Jenkins!" Steve Jenkins objected.

"Brittany and I will be playing in this round. This is not up for debate," Shadya maintained.

"Alright," Brittany sighed.

"It's dodgeball, not a marathon. You'll be fine," Hugh sneered.

"It's more the principle of the thing," Brittany muttered.

"Me, Ernie, Hugh, Shadya, and Brittany..." Bailey pieced together.

"You guys can do it," Vladimir smiled.

On the other end of the gymnasium, Joseph, Nolan, and Quentin stood in front of their team.

"Alright, bros, who's joining us on this conquest?" Joseph grinned.

"Well, um, if anybody wishes to volunteer, they should, um, get first priority," Kun figured.

"I'd like another shot," Cyan said with her hand raised. "I feel like I could have done better."

Silence.

"Well, if nobody else is dying to go back, I'd definitely love to step back in," Louise offered.

"I'm good. You guys go at it..." Kiki said.

"That makes things easy," Nolan mentioned.

"I trust there are, um, no objections?" Kun inquired.

"None from me," Jean-Marie answered.

"Yeah, I think we've got a pretty strong group overall," Quentin nodded.

"Let's go!" Joseph whooped.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Joseph:** The other team might have the lead, but I'm all about team deathmatches! It's the whole reason I ended up as team leader on the Pixel Peacocks. The Fighting Wyverns aren't out of this yet!

**Steve Jenkins:** It's not easy being Steve Jenkins sometimes. I know that sounds hard to believe, and it is, because lots of things are easy when you're Steve Jenkins, but the sheer jealousy and resentment that you have to deal with on the daily can get to you, man. Just because everyone else isn't gifted with my looks, brains, and athleticism, they feel like they have to do me dirty. _(He sniffles.)_ It's so rude! I'm so blessed to have fans like you in my life.

* * *

The competing contestants took their spots at the walls of the gymnasium.

"On your marks... get set..." Mondo began the round by blowing his whistle.

The players ran for the balls set up in the centerline of the court. Brittany, Shadya, Cyan, Joseph, and Louise each grabbed one.

"At least I can catch one?" Bailey told herself.

Shadya launched her ball at Quentin, who just managed to step out of the way, to the point where he could still feel the breeze of the ball flying past him. The ball ricocheted off the wall behind Quentin and back into Shadya's hands.

"Geez, you throw hard," Quentin chuckled.

"I'm a hard woman," Shadya claimed.

"Yeah, I bet," Nolan snickered.

Shadya immediately sent the ball towards Nolan, and it gut-punched him onto the floor. Mondo blew his whistle.

"Alright, let's all focus on one person at a time. It's a lot harder to defend yourself when it's three against one," Joseph told Cyan and Louise quietly.

"Got it," Cyan agreed.

"Everyone against Brittany on three," Louise suggested.

"One... two... three!" Joseph counted.

The three of them all threw their balls at Bailey, Brittany, and Ernie, with only the throw against Bailey actually connecting. In addition, during all this, Brittany threw her ball and hit Louise. Mondo blew his whistle twice in quick succession.

"Guys, I said _Brittany_," Louise clarified, annoyed.

"Oh, that's my bad," Joseph admitted.

"We can still win!" Cyan insisted.

Hugh guffawed at the whole display. Joseph, angered, lobbed his ball at Hugh, who tossed the ball he'd been holding in the air and caught the ball Joseph had thrown.

"What the?!" Joseph gasped.

"Did I ever mention that I know how to juggle?" Hugh sneered smugly as he caught the ball he'd thrown in the air with his free hand.

Mondo blew his whistle. "Joseph's out. Bailey's back in!"  
"Oh, yay," Bailey smiled as she rejoined her team. She accepted the ball that Hugh tossed to her.

"Welp, looks like it's just you and me," Quentin told Cyan as he looked over the five Grand Gryphons.

"As sure as I am that blue is the best color, I'm sure that we can do this!" Cyan declared.

"Everyone throw at Cyan!" Shadya ordered her team.

"Eep!" Cyan squealed.

Cyan dodged multiple balls in succession and caught the last one.

Mondo blew his whistle. "Hugh's out! Nolan's back in!"

"Bull_shit_!" Hugh objected.

"Just listen. No need to make a scene. We can still win," Bailey told him.

"I'd say our probability of turning it around just increased," Nolan grinned as he rejoined his team.

Nolan picked up two of the balls that Cyan had dodged. He looked at and wound his arm up to throw, only to throw it at Ernie instead. Ernie was unable to react in time and took a ball to the face.

"That wasn't, like, necessary," Ernie groaned as the whistle blew.

Shadya ran up to the ball that hit Ernie before Bailey, who was closer to it, could pick it up.

"Um..." Bailey didn't seem sure how to respond to that.

Shadya launched a ball each at Cyan and Nolan. Nolan stepped out of the way of the projectile, while Cyan used the ball she was holding to deflect the other ball back at Shadya, who realized a second too late what was happening, and took the punishment from her own ball. Mondo blew his whistle.

"Are you kidding me?!" Shadya fumed. She made her way to the bleachers.

Bailey and Brittany shared a quick glance before each dodging a ball that was thrown their way. They both threw the balls they were holding at Nolan, who was still holding a ball, although he managed to dodge both of them. Cyan and Quentin were quick to grab the failed projectiles, while Bailey and Brittany each grabbed the balls that they had recently dodged. This left all five still in the game holding a ball, each trying to keep on eye on all of their opponents.

"It seems we're at an impasse. Why don't we make a game of it?" Nolan suggested.

"It's already a game. The game is dodgeball," Brittany pointed out.

"Hear me out," Nolan implored. "If we-"

Bailey threw her ball at Nolan before he could continue, or register that he was about to be hit. Mondo blew his whistle.

"Alright, fine," Nolan groused as he tossed the ball he was holding to Quentin.

Cyan threw her ball at Bailey, who was unable to move out of the way in time. Mondo blew his whistle again, and she joined the rest of her team on the bleachers.

Brittany, realizing it was just her on the Grand Gryphons' side, dropped the ball she was holding.

"What the hell is she doing?" Ernie asked.

"Probably preparing to catch a ball," Vladimir guessed.

"On three," Cyan told Quentin.

"Alright," Quentin agreed.

"One... two... three!"

Cyan threw her ball, followed by Quentin a second after. Brittany was unable to catch Cyan's ball. Mondo blew his whistle.

"The Fighting Wyverns take Round 2!" Mondo announced.

"Geez, you've got a better throwing arm than one would think," Brittany complimented Cyan, rubbing the pain out of her arm.

"Aw, thanks! You put up a great fight yourself," Cyan smiled back

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Nolan:** Well, I would have suggested we all throw our balls at once and see what happens, but I guess Bailey had other plans in mind. I suppose it worked out for her in the short term, but we still took the momentum. I certainly wouldn't mind it if we won this challenge. A day spa sounds nice.

**Bailey:** Nolan leans too far into the aspect of this being a game. Sure, it is, but this is a game with stakes, and I think a lot of people forget about that, especially him. It's the reason he couldn't make it to the merge the first time, and the reason that I suspect history will repeat itself.

* * *

Dalit had taken Frita back to her penthouse room at Blaising Tower and had spent the entire time since they got there with Dalit brushing Frita's hair.

"When was the last time you did anything to this besides washing it?" Dalit reprimanded.

Frita didn't seem to be able to come up with an answer.

"No excuses! If you don't take care of your hair, your hair will not take care of you!" Dalit insisted.

"How is my hair supposed to take care of me?" Frita doubted.

"It is just like I always say! An attractive appearance means an attractive person," Dalit explained. "If you look good, people will think you are good."

"I'm pretty sure that's not true," Frita winced. "Even if I was a supermodel, I'd still be a creepy, violent freak on the inside."

"Frita, have you ever considered that you dislike yourself so much _because_ you don't put effort in your appearance?" Dalit asked. "Feeling attractive means feeling confident."

"I... I don't know about that," Frita denied. "Maybe? I just doubt that I'd be attractive enough to feel confident, even with the effort you're putting in."

"So you doubt me?" Dalit frowned.

"I doubt myself, not you," Frita clarified.

"It all seems like it's leading into itself!" Dalit exasperated. "You aren't confident because you don't think you're attractive, but you won't try to make yourself attractive because you aren't confident in yourself."

"There's a lot more to it than that," Frita mentioned. "Like I said, even if I did put effort into this kind of thing, people would still push me away because of who I am."

"What about me?" Dalit huffed. "What about Kiki and Quentin? Aren't we your friends?"

"I haven't really been able to ask the others since I snapped yesterday..." Frita trailed off. She teared up. "I don't know if I can face them, Dalit."

"I was in an alliance meeting this morning. They still trust you," Dalit assured her.

"Now that I think about it, Quentin was the first person to greet me when I came back from Isolation Park..." Frita thought aloud. "Why do you guys put up with me?"

"Because that is what friends do, of course!" Dalit beamed. "That's not the kind of thing you should question. Even if you don't think you have value, others do. Shouldn't that be enough?"

"It should, but..." Frita mumbled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Frita:** None of this makes any sense to me, but I signed up for this game and came back to do it again because I thought it'd be at least an interesting change of pace. I don't understand why these guys would want to be my friends, but I might as well roll with it for now. It's not like we're going to be around each other for very long.

**Dalit:** Frita will never improve herself if she keeps telling herself that it isn't worth trying! She doesn't turn it away when I try to primp her up, but I feel like she's letting me do it because it makes me happy instead of her. How can I convince her that it's always worth taking care of yourself? That seems like it should be so obvious!

* * *

The teams had taken the time to decide who was going to play for them in the third and final game. Touching the wall on the Grand Gryphons' side were Bailey, Brittany, Shadya, Steve Jenkins, and Vladimir. Touching the opposite wall for the Fighting Wyverns were Cyan, Jean-Marie, Joseph, Louise, and Quentin.

"Final game. For the challenge! Everyone ready?" Mondo called.

Everyone looked very ready.

"On your marks... get set..." Mondo blew his whistle, signaling the start of the final round.

The contestants ran for the balls lined up in the center of the court. Cyan, Joseph, Shadya, Steve Jenkins, and Vladimir all managed to get one.

Shadya immediately launched her ball at Cyan. Quentin immediately threw his ball at Shadya. Both balls connected with their targets and Mondo blew his whistle twice in quick succession. Shadya shot Quentin a death glare on her way to the bleachers.

"Alright, we're off to a start!" Quentin smiled hopefully.

Brittany and Louise quickly claimed the balls that had taken their respective teammates out. Meanwhile, Steve Jenkins threw his ball at Joseph, who stepped out of the way. Jean-Marie moved to pick up the stray ball.

"Come on!" Steve Jenkins griped.

"Dodging balls is the name of the game, bro. Literally," Joseph shrugged smugly.

"Shall we save him for last? He doesn't seem as big of a threat as the others, _non_?" Jean-Marie asked Joseph quietly.

"Heh. Works for me, bro," Joseph agreed.

Louise and Vladimir traded balls. Neither of them caught their opponent's projectile, but they were able to retrieve them after they had hit the floor. It was at that moment when Louise was able to throw her ball again and hit Vladimir before he was able to even stand fully back up. Mondo blew his whistle.

"Damn," Vladimir grunted.

Vladimir handed his ball to Bailey near him as he left the court, and Steve Jenkins ran to pick up the ball Louise had thrown.

"I think Louise is their biggest threat. Go for her," Brittany told her remaining teammates.

"How is she a threat? She didn't even make it past the first shuffle," Steve Jenkins scoffed.

"...Nobody on that team made it to the merge in their season," Bailey pointed out.

"You know what I meant. Everyone aim at her!" Brittany commanded.

All three Grand Gryphons threw their balls at Louise, who was unable to get out of the way of all three of them. Mondo blew his whistle.

"Wait, now they have all the balls," Steve Jenkins pointed out.

Brittany smacked her own forehead.

"Nice going," Steve Jenkins groaned.

"We can still win this," Bailey maintained.

Jean-Marie and Joseph both held one ball in each hand, and Quentin had the last ball.

"Just go for it. Throw at whoever. They won't know what hit them," Joseph grinned.

"Sounds good," Quentin grinned.

The Fighting Wyverns threw their balls in near unison. Bailey was hit with two balls, and Brittany was hit with one. The other two balls missed. Mondo blew his whistle twice.

"Well, good luck," Brittany told Steve Jenkins as she left the court.

"What is luck to a god?" Steve Jenkins asked as he picked up a ball. "Probability defies me. You know why?"

Steve Jenkins threw the ball at Quentin.

"Because I'm Steve Jen-" Steve Jenkins' claim was cut off by a blow from Mondo's whistle. Quentin had the ball Steve Jenkins threw at him, caught in his hands.

"The Fighting Wyverns win reward!" Chris announced.

The winning team cheered, and Jean-Marie and Joseph hoisted Quentin onto their shoulders in a victory carry.

"That's BS! This is rigged!" Steve Jenkins objected.

"Yeah, that's what happens when you talk shit about luck, artard," Hugh grunted. "Quentin's like the luckiest person in the world."

"There's no such thing as luck," Steve Jenkins grunted. "Shady agrees with me. Right, Shady?"

"I'm starting to wonder," Shadya growled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Quentin:** Wow, maybe I was just getting to in-my-head about messing up the first challenge. That's right, it's a positive outlook that matters. That's what Alpha Party taught me! I need to keep that in mind!

**Steve Jenkins:** It's totally not fair! We were on a roll, and then the stupid Wyverns won anyway! I'm Steve Jenkins, I should not be subjected to this many losses in a row! I don't care if it makes me an underdog, because people are going to be rooting for me anyway!

* * *

The Grand Gryphons had been dismissed from the court, and Dalit and Frita had returned. Frita's hair was now in an elaborate braid.

"Nice job, Fighting Wyverns," Topher complimented. "Each of you guys gets a day spa pass. Make good use of it. We went a little over budget with the guys we hired."

"Wait, we did?!" Chris snapped. "Nelson isn't going to like that."

"Oh, no, he's fine with it. We just made cuts to Lindsay's makeup budget," Topher assured him.

"Is that why my face has been itchy all week?!" Lindsay cried.

"That's concerning," Cyan commented.

"Beauty is pain. She will survive," Dalit said dismissively.

"If beauty is pain, then I'd better get checked into a hospital," Nolan chuckled.

"I'll say," Kiki muttered.

"Of course, in addition to your rewards, you guys still have to partake in the Best/Worst vote," Topher reminded everyone as Lindsay handed out pens and papers in addition to the day spa passes. "Dalit and Frita will not be able to cast or receive votes, so keep that in mind."

"You guys can feel free to vote for me for the Worst vote," Kiki offered. "I messed up big time in my short time playing this one. I'll own up to that."

"That, or she simply wants the chance to search for hidden statues," Jean-Marie told Joseph and Kun quietly. "Do not fall for her scheme. Rather, I have a better idea."

* * *

The contestants cast their votes and turned in their ballots.

"I've got the results!" Topher announced. "If I may announce the result of the Best vote first..."

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"Quentin has won the penthouse this time! Congrats, man!" Topher announced.

"W-Wow, really?" Quentin beamed. "Thanks, guys. After being the Worst vote the other day, this really means a lot."

"You, um, earned it," Kun smiled.

"And, for the Worst vote..." Topher trailed off.

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"Kiki, you got your wish. You've been voted as the worst in today's challenge," Topher informed.

"I'll take this as motivation to do better next time," Kiki nodded.

"I'll help you get to Isolation Park," Lindsay told Kiki. She leaned in a little close. "Do you have any spare blush I can have?"

"I clearly don't wear blush," Kiki told her flatly.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kiki:** My poor performance in the challenge was not intentional. I always give every challenge my best, no matter what. As I said, there's no shame in expressing honestly when things make you uncomfortable, but I don't want it to hinder me again. While all this is important, what's also important is that I find a hidden statue in Isolation Park. My game very well could depend on it.

* * *

**Votes:**

**Best:**

Quentin - Cyan, Jean-Marie, Joseph, Kun, Louise

Cyan - Kiki, Quentin

Nolan - Nolan

**Worst:**

Kiki - Cyan, Kiki, Louise, Quentin

Kun - Jean-Marie, Joseph, Kun

Joseph - Nolan

* * *

Bailey met up with Brittany and Irving in the team's garage hangout.

"I feel like this is my fault," Brittany said. "Everyone was counting on me in this challenge, and I failed them."

"While that be true, we wouldn't have lost the challenge if we didn't all fail to some extent," Irving told her jovially.

"Was that... supposed to cheer me up? I genuinely can't tell," Brittany asked.

"Well, did it?" Irving asked.

"Not really?" Brittany responded.

"Guys, can we focus on the game for a second?" Bailey requested.

"Should we let Hugh in on this?" Brittany asked.

"I invited him, but he told me he had some other matter to attend to," Bailey informed.

"That doesn't sound good," Brittany winced.

"Allow me to cut to the chase:" Bailey cleared her throat. "Shadya believes that it was Vladimir, not me, who voted against Isidora last night."

Irving burst into obnoxious laughter. "Are ye serious?!"

"She pulled me and Ernie aside in order to solidify an alliance between us," Bailey nodded. "Ernie figured out that it was me rather than Vladimir, though, and told me as much after Shadya let us go."

"Ernie's smart. We can't underestimate him," Brittany acknowledged.

"Ain't he working with Vladimir, too?" Irving asked.

"He may be," Bailey thought aloud.

"So, what? The target stays on Vladimir, right?" Brittany asked.

"I think she be saying that we may want to work closer with Shadya now," Irving surmised.

"What? Shadya's still out to get the rest of us," Brittany pointed out.

"I'm saying that it's something to keep in mind when interacting with the rest of the team," Bailey explained. "I want to make sure all our stories are straight. If we end up contradicting one another, it would be bad for us."

"And if Hugh does so, eh, it's just Hugh," Irving jested.

"I'll speak with him later," Bailey assured Irving. "Just be aware of how all the others see the team dynamics."

"Maybe," Irving said nonchalantly.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Bailey:** Part of me still isn't sure that this isn't a trap of some sort on Shadya's part. She's clearly smart, so I'm not sure how likely it is that she'd make such an error in judgment like thinking Vladimir voted alongside Hugh and Irving. Maybe _she's_ overthinking things. Either way, we'll have to be careful.

**Irving:** Ah, who cares if Shadya thinks it be Vladimir with us and not Bailey? Far as I can tell, it won't affect the votes any. Actually, now that I say it out loud, maybe Bailey could try and convince her to vote for Vlad with us! Now wouldn't that be something? Keheheh.

* * *

Ernie, Steve Jenkins, and Vladimir met up at the diner, eating dinner together.

"Did anyone see where Shady went after the challenge?" Steve Jenkins asked.

"None of my business, don't particularly care," Ernie said as he stretched his arms tiredly.

"I think I saw her head back in the direction of the motel," Vladimir recalled.

"Well, she can sulk about losing all she wants. We need to, like, talk," Ernie said.

"We are talking," Steve Jenkins joked.

"You know, as absolutely hilarious as you are, maybe dial it back a bit so people don't think you're a social threat," Ernie forced himself to say with very obvious insincerity.

"Good point," Steve Jenkins accepted.

"It sounds like you have something important to say," Vladimir mentioned to Ernie.

"Yeah, so, like, apparently Shadya thinks that you voted to get rid of Isidora and that Bailey is someone we should be trusting instead," Ernie scoffed.

"To be fair, Vlad totally didn't help when Isidora's name came up," Steve Jenkins frowned.

"I... may have panicked a bit, knowing my game was on the line," Vladimir conceded. "But we can't focus on that right now. We need to focus on how to proceed knowing that there's an alliance of four on this team and only four of us to counter it."

"I could totally use my Steve Jenkins charm to get Bailey to work with us for real," Steve Jenkins offered.

"Is that so?" Ernie doubted.

"It worked with Gretchen. It worked with... Roxie... once," Steve Jenkins claimed.

"And how's it been working for you this season?" Ernie asked.

"Man, I don't have to take this!" Steve Jenkins snapped. He stood up and stormed away from the booth.

"Well, consider me convinced," Ernie groaned.

"We need him. I don't love the idea either, but we need him," Vladimir reminded Ernie.

"I know," Ernie sighed.

As Steve Jenkins made his way out of the diner, Hugh, who had been leaning against the wall, cleared his throat unsubtly.

"How's it going, Steve Jenkins?" Hugh asked.

"I'm getting fed up with the haters, man," Steve Jenkins said.

"Well, do I have an offer for you," Hugh chuckled. "How would you like an easy spot in the majority?"

"See, this is how things should have been from the start," Steve Jenkins beamed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Steve Jenkins:** It's clear that Ernie's got no respect for me at all, so why should I keep working with his punk ass when there are people on this team who actually recognize my value? That's a Steve Jenkins lesson to all my fans out there. I've mentioned this on my vlog, but don't waste your time with people who don't respect you!

**Vladimir:** I can't say I'm particularly happy with my current position in this game. On one side: an alliance who wants me eliminated, for whatever reason. On the other side: three people who all believe they're better than each other and can't keep their egos from clashing. Obviously, I've proven that I can deal with a team full of big egos back in Explore Party, but this is a bigger team, a tougher team.

* * *

The Fighting Wyverns, minus Kiki, had gone to their team's garage hangout. They had convinced Jayne to deliver beers and sodas from the barcade to the hangout.

"Yo, Jayne's the real bro!" Joseph whooped, one arm around Jayne's neck and one hand full of beer.

"I appreciate the compliment," Jayne smiled.

"Here, you ever have beer?" Joseph asked as he offered his beer to Jayne.

"I have not," Jayne answered. "Alas, I can but long for the capability to taste. And to get fucked up. Perhaps someday..."

"You'll get there someday. I believe in you!" Joseph sniffled.

"You two make for a handsome couple," Louise teased.

"Bro, Louise, can you imagine a life of not being able to taste?" Joseph questioned.

"Maybe if organics couldn't taste, they'd eat healthier," Jayne posited.

"See, they're so smart," Joseph beamed.

"Just try not to take advantage of... each other, I guess," Louise half-joked. "I actually don't know if Jayne can technically consent since they're of animal intelligence."

"So is your mother," Jayne responded neutrally. Joseph burst into laughter.

"You've never met my mother!" Louise snapped.

"Also Joseph and I are not romantically or sexually involved," Jayne added.

"Hey, we're not just going to pretend like that comment against my mom didn't happen!" Louise insisted.

Nolan and Quentin, meanwhile, played a video game while Frita watched.

"Damn, you're kind of killing me over here," Nolan told Quentin. "You've never played this game before?"

"I never said that," Quentin chuckled. "Actually, they have one of the older versions of this game in the barcade. I played Jean-Marie earlier today."

"So... you guys like video games?" Frita asked.

"I like _games_," Nolan smirked. "Video, card, board, or otherwise. CJ and I are planning on partnering up to come up with our own TCG. We'll see how that goes. We're still testing the gameplay out before committing to any art."

"I like video games, yeah," Quentin answered. "I like the outdoors more, but if it's rainy, or I'm home from work, they're a good way to unwind."

"If I got... okay at them, would you... would you guys...?" Frita stammered.

"Of course we'd play with you! That's what friends do, right?" Quentin agreed.

"I'm not the type to go easy on anyone," Nolan warned her.

"Then what's your dice twist in this game all about?" Quentin ribbed.

"That's not making it easy for everyone else, it's making it harder for me," Nolan insisted.

"What's the difference?" Frita muttered.

Cyan approached Dalit, who had been searching through the cooler for something to drink.

"Aha! Fuze tea!" Dalit finally found what she'd been looking for.

"You like that specific kind?" Cyan asked.

"It's the one soft drink in Israel that they have over here," Dalit said. "Now what do you want?"

"Oh, I just wanted to compliment you on your work on Frita's hair," Cyan smiled. "It looks great!"

"...We do not like each other," Dalit pointed out.

"We've had our friction in the past, sure, but I wanted to pay a genuine compliment," Cyan told her.

"If you think you can work me over and betray my friends, you are the wrong one!" Dalit huffed as she walked away.

"Oh... alrighty then," Cyan winced.

Jean-Marie and Kun hung in the back corner, each with a drink.

"Alright, so I wanted to talk to you about the, um, vote," Kun began.

"_Non non non_." Jean-Marie shook his head. "Now is the time to relax and not think about the game. I am thinking of joining those three with the video games. I can beat Quentin in this game."

"Alright, but, um, I suppose," Kun responded. "Yes, all work and no play is no good. We should enjoy ourselves. But may I pitch one idea to you first?"

"Ruminate on it. If it's still important tomorrow, then tell me," Jean-Marie said as he left Kun.

"Oh, um, okay," Kun sighed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kun:** I'll admit, I'm starting to, um, second-guess whether or not we should be targeting Kiki. I feel like I made the wrong move turning her away earlier. Maybe I did, um, let my pride get the better of me. The worst part about it is that she's in Isolation Park, so I can't apologize to her right now. _(He sighs.)_

**Frita:** I lost every game I played against Nolan, Quentin, and Jean-Marie. It was embarrassing. ...It was nice to be included, though.

* * *

Back in the robotics lab, Ginger and Godfrey had just concluded repairs on Greg.

"Alright, he should be good to go," Ginger grinned.

Godfrey flipped a switch on a nearby machine. Greg opened his eyes.

"Am I dead?" Greg asked.

"Quite the opposite. In fact, you're more alive than ever," Ginger boasted.

"How are you feeling?" Godfrey asked.

"With my nervous system," Greg answered.

"He's fine," Ginger assured Godfrey.

"Hey, guys!" Lindsay smiled as she entered. "How's Greg doing?"

Greg stood up. "More alive than ever, apparently," he answered.

"Take it easy, alright? You took a pretty bad thrashing yesterday," Godfrey reminded Greg.

"Is that not why you repaired me? Shouldn't I be in perfect condition?" Greg asked.

"I... I mean, I guess, yeah," Godfrey realized.

"You worry too much. Robots are tough, you know. It's why we had him and Jayne fight the contestants three-to-one," Ginger said.

"Jayne's integrated themself pretty well with the others. I bet you can, too!" Lindsay told Greg.

"Interesting," Greg commented. "Whatever the purpose of my continued existence might be, I hope that it is beneficial to myself and others."

"That's the spirit," Godfrey smiled.

* * *

Shadya had retreated to her motel room, slamming the door behind her. She took her pillow off of her bed, held it against the wall, and punched it as hard as she could. After doing this for about thirty seconds or so, she tossed the pillow aside.

"How do I keep losing?!" Shadya cried. "I am better than this! I am human perfection!"

Shadya walked up to her nightstand and opened the drawer. She took a framed photo out, depicting a pair of well-dressed middle-aged people, a man and a woman, with a similar complexion to hers.

"I finally found you two, and you're both already more successful than I am," Shadya fumed. "How am I supposed to prove myself like this?! It's not fair!"

Shadya wound her arm up as if she was about to throw the photo against the wall, but she restrained herself from doing so. She placed the photo back in her nightstand and shut the drawer.

"I will not give you the satisfaction of being better than me," Shadya swore. "I will surpass you, no matter what. This stupid game is the only thing I've ever failed to succeed in. I will rectify that."

* * *

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay all stood in front of the city limits of Drama City.

"It's been another round of safety for everyone, but is anybody truly safe in this game?" Chris smirked.

"Well, sure, that's what Invincibility is for," Lindsay pointed out. "...Right?"

"True, but Invincibility only lasts for so long," Topher mentioned. "And by this time tomorrow, another player is going to be painfully aware of that fact."

"You said it, Topher! Hehaha," Chris chuckled. "Will the Fighting Wyverns continue their winning streak, or will the Grand Gryphons pull a dark horse victory?"

"It looks like alliance lines are being crossed on both teams. Anything can happen, and I, for one, am interested to see where things go," Topher grinned.

"Don't we have a meeting with Mr. Nelson tomorrow to talk about where things go?" Lindsay asked.

"Ugh, don't remind me," Chris groaned. He cleared his throat. "But, uh, anyway! Will Steve Jenkins flip over to Hugh's alliance? Will Ernie be able to get a group together to counter that alliance? Will Bailey take further advantage of Shadya's misconception about her?"

"Will Kiki find another statue in Isolation Park?" Topher asked. "Is Jean-Marie playing a trickier game than he's intending to? Will Dalit's makeovers for Frita affect her social standing at all?"

"I do like what Dalit did with her hair..." Lindsay mentioned.

"You'll just have to find out what happens next time, on Total!" Chris began.

"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.

"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison

* * *

**Grand Gryphons:**

Bailey - The Pragmatic Poet

Brittany - The Loyal Bombshell

Ernie - The Lazy Law Student

Hugh - The Head Villain

Irving - The Chaotic Pirate

Shadya - The Genius Athlete

Steve Jenkins - The Vlog Icon

Vladimir - The Untrustworthy Impostor

_19th: Isidora - The Asocial Bookworm_

_20th: Lilith - The Harbinger of Unrest_

**Fighting Wyverns:**

Cyan - The Sweet Madame Blue

Dalit - The Social Media Model

Frita - The Morbid Artist

Jean-Marie - The Homeless Frenchman

Joseph - The True Bro

Kiki - The Strategic Hipster

Kun - The Awkward Team Leader

Louise - The Friendly PE Teacher

Nolan - The Wildcard Gambler

Quentin - The Lucky Ornithologist

_A/N: Another buffer episode, and hopefully one that keeps things interesting and dynamic. There won't be too many more of these in the season, so hopefully, everyone's positions in the game are being well-established and worked with effectively. Let me know what you guys think!_


	7. Ep 06: Rescue

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay stood at the city limits of Drama City.

"Last time, on Total Drama Party with the Stars!" the three began in unison.

"With clear majority alliances on both teams, those who were on the outs did whatever they could to put themselves in a better position," Chris recapped. "To varying degrees of failure. Hehaha."

"Hugh wasn't happy with Irving going rogue during the last elimination ceremony, and, after hearing that Steve Jenkins wasn't getting along well with the other side of the team, conspired to get the vlogger to flip," Topher said. "Kiki, meanwhile, tried to smooth things over with Kun, but Kun wasn't having any of it after he already tried to get her in his alliance and she left to make her own."

"Jean-Marie's charm is starting to get to Quentin, and Joseph and Jayne are getting along really well~!" Lindsay smiled. "Nothing cute and romantic is happening on the Gryphons, but I think there could be something between Brittany and Irving with the right push."

"Yeah, push me off a cliff, more like," Chris joked.

Topher and Lindsay looked at him blankly.

"I'm hilarious," Chris insisted.

"Anyway, the challenge was a dodgeball match, best two out of three," Topher continued. "It was... well, it was dodgeball. You know dodgeball, you've seen dodgeball, you've played dodgeball."

"What I haven't seen is Shadya get bodied that badly in a physical challenge," Chris snickered. "And she didn't take it well. The Fighting Wyverns won yet again, and for a reward, they each got day spa passes."

Lindsay scratched her cheek.

"Tonight, someone else will be ousted from the game," Chris said.

"Who's it going to be this time?" Lindsay wondered aloud.

"It's all happening right now, on Total!" Chris began.

"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.

"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison.

* * *

Hugh wandered through the city streets alone.

"Ugh, the coffee here sucks but I still need it," Hugh groaned to himself.

"What's up!" Steve Jenkins grabbed Hugh from behind by the shoulders.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Hugh shouted as he smacked Steve Jenkins off of him. "What the fresh hell are you doing sneaking up on me, artard?!"

"It's just a prank, bro," Steve Jenkins chuckled.

"Yeah, that's what I'll tell them when they find your body at the bottom of a river," Hugh snarled.

"Come on, man, we've got this majority alliance going on. More importantly, we've got a majority alliance that has Steve Jenkins in it," Steve Jenkins told him. "I know you're jealous, but we should keep things copacetic if we want things to work."

"Have you spoken with the others yet?" Hugh asked.

"Nah, not yet," Steve Jenkins admitted. "I'll get around to it, but we're trying to keep this on the down-low, right?"

"Yes, actually. Surprisingly insightful of you," Hugh confirmed. "I want to be the first to tell them. They already trust me, so it'll be easier for them to grasp if I'm the one who lets them know."

"What, they don't already trust that, whatever direction Steve Jenkins goes in, it's going to be the right one?" Steve Jenkins doubted.

"I mean, you placed twelfth in your season and I placed seventh," Hugh sneered. "I think we all know who the objectively better player is."

"Placement doesn't mean jack!" Steve Jenkins objected. "We're all Grand Gryphons here. Besides, Lilith and Isidora placed sixth and fifth, and they're already gone."

"I don't think anyone was ever going to argue that Lilith is a good player, but whatever," Hugh dismissed. "Just... keep this all under wraps for now. If Shadya and the others find out, they're going to freak."

"What are they going to do? We have a five-to-three advantage," Steve Jenkins doubted.

"I've been in the minority. I know how very possible it is to get things to turn on its head," Hugh said.

"Whatever, dude," Steve Jenkins responded.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Hugh:** I feel like I'm the only one in my alliance who's actually trying. Irving's so devil-may-care about everything, Steve Jenkins clearly doesn't want to contribute anything besides his vote, and Bailey and Brittany are only kind of helpful. I knew I was going to be the big villain of this season, but having my henchmen at least put in the effort too would be nice!

**Steve Jenkins:** Hugh just doesn't understand that there is straight-up nothing to worry about. Even if there are statues in Isolation Park like people keep saying there are, no one on this team has even been there, so it's not like we have to worry about those. Besides, I'm Steve Jenkins, anyone who would dare try to harm my game knows they'd feel the wrath of my amazing fans once the game's over. _(He gives a wink and a grin to the camera.)_

* * *

Jean-Marie, Joseph, and Kun met up in the latter's apartment.

"Alright, so, Jean-Marie, last night I said I wanted to run something by you, and you said that I should, um, do so tomorrow morning," Kun prefaced. "It is now that time."

"It must truly be important if it is still at the forefront of your mind," Jean-Marie said. "Do tell."

"How strongly do you guys, um, feel about voting for Kiki, should we have to vote?" Kun asked.

"While I dislike Dalit more, and Frita contributes less, Kiki is the biggest threat to our games," Jean-Marie laid out.

"I just straight up don't like her," Joseph mentioned. "Why? Did something come up?"

"Nothing necessarily came up, I was just, um, wondering if it would be worth it to target someone else over her," Kun answered.

"You thought of it yesterday, slept on it, and today you still think it to be the better move. You are clearly convinced, even if you won't express it," Jean-Marie claimed. "Can you explain why you don't want to vote for Kiki?"

"Well, um, not particularly..." Kun stammered.

"There's no good reason to target anyone else, bro," Joseph tsked. "Kiki is actively out to get us, and she can do it, too. Without her, what are Dalit and Frita going to do?"

"I suppose..." Kun conceded.

"If you can find the words to explain your point of view, I'm happy to hear it," Jean-Marie said. "But as it stands, I see no reason why we should focus our efforts on eliminating anyone but Kiki."

"What if she finds a statue?" Kun realized.

"All three of them could have one. They've all been to Isolation Park," Joseph pointed out.

"That's true," Kun realized.

"I do appreciate you consulting us rather than making hard plans without our input," Jean-Marie told Kun. "I've seen many a leader fail due to a lack of such wisdom."

"It's important to listen to others," Kun said. "I'm glad I'm, um, at least succeeding in that regard."

"_Oui_. If I did not trust you, I would not have stuck with you," Jean-Marie assured him.

"Hell yeah, bro!" Joseph agreed.

"Well, thanks, I'm really happy to hear that," Kun smiled. "It's nice to have someone who has faith in me."

"Truly one of life's most underrated pleasures," Jean-Marie waxed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kun:** I, um, worry often that I'm not being an effective enough leader, or that I'm just embarrassing myself, so I'm glad to hear that I'm not doing as bad as I think I am. As long as I keep trying, I'm, um, making progress towards being an effective leader.

**Jean-Marie:** I can't but wonder if our dear leader has his eyes set on a fair maiden and is letting this cloud his vision. Were this not a high-stakes game, I'd urge him to follow his heart, but as it stands, I cannot let Kiki play this game any further, regardless of how Kun may feel about her. She is simply too big a threat. _(He clears his throat.)_ W-Which is simply good strategy, and not unnecessarily cutthroat.

**Joseph:** Kun's a bro and all, but as far as leaders go, I don't exactly have a ton of confidence in him. We've got a plan, and it's a good plan, so what's the point in changing it? I can't think of any good reason, honestly. Making sure you don't string people along and mislead them is a big facet of the bro code. That's hoe behavior if I've ever seen it.

* * *

Ernie found Shadya doing push-ups at McLean Park.

"Shadya, do you, like, have a minute?" Ernie asked.

"I would not have made it this far in life if I was unable to multitask," Shadya claimed.

"Right, so, kind of important, but Bailey did not vote for Irving. She voted for Isidora," Ernie told her.

"Why would she do that?" Shadya doubted.

"I'm still trying to figure that part out. Lord knows why the hell she'd, ya know, pick Irving as a potential ally over Isidora," Ernie scoffed. "But what's important is that, like, she did it. I think putting our trust in her is a bad idea."

"I do not have bad ideas," Shadya said.

"Okay, then explain to me what part of putting our trust in someone who does not have our interests at heart is a good idea," Ernie challenged. "Especially if it means throwing Vladimir, someone I know we can trust, under the bus."

"Vladimir?" Shadya asked. "Since when can we trust Vladimir?"

"You straight-up included him in our alliance on day one," Ernie groaned.

"I included Barry because I saw him as someone who was willing to easily go with my plans," Shadya claimed. "I included Bailey and Brittany for a similar reason."

"And look where that's, like, gotten us," Ernie leered. "Listen. Bailey, Brittany, Hugh, and Irving are an alliance. The other four of us _need_ to, ya know, work together if we want to do anything about that."

"None of this conversation changes my intentions to vote for Irving," Shadya grunted. "And if you're going to waste my time with pointless conversation, I expect you to not take up such an attitude with me."

Ernie took a deep breath. "I apologize."

"I don't need an apology, I need a change in behavior," Shadya told him.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Ernie:** Every idiot on the street thinks they're the smartest person in the room. The worst ones are the ones who have had other people tell them they're smart, because they, ya know, let that get to their head. I've dealt with people like Shadya before, and if I want her to work with me, I need to humor her, even if it costs me my dignity.

**Shadya:** Just because Ernie made it to the final five before doesn't mean he has any right to treat me as an equal. Even putting aside the records I've set and the awards I've won, if we want to speak strictly about prior seasons, I ran everything from the beginning, and with a much smarter cast. Ernie isn't dumb, but most of the House Party cast were. If anything, I find it concerning that he _didn't _win given who else was in the final five with him.

* * *

The marquee at Hatchet's Diner read "No, the mushrooms are not from the store. Don't question it any further." Inside the diner, Dalit, Nolan, and Quentin ate breakfast at the same booth.

"It must be nice getting to actually play on a team this time, huh?" Nolan playfully teased Dalit.

"What is that to mean?" Dalit huffed. "Just because I have not had to vote, that is why I am not voted out?"

"What, no, I was just joking about how a twist screwed you over in Alpha Party," Nolan assured her.

"That is rude," Dalit leered.

"...My bad," Nolan apologized. "Anyway, things are definitely looking up for you."

"Of course. And I will be winning this time," Dalit grinned proudly.

"If I don't win, I'd be happy if one of you guys did," Quentin smiled. "Honestly, I'd be happy if most of this team won, now that I think about it."

"It is a compelling story, having been relegated to 'that person who didn't even make the merge' for so much time, only to come back and win," Nolan nodded. "I was forced to vote myself out, Dalit had no time to get to know her fellow competitors before a vote, and even Quentin fell victim to a vote split after giving his hidden statue away."

"That sounds like both of your own faults," Dalit mentioned.

"I'm not going to let romance get in the way of my game this time," Quentin said with resolve. "I have all the time in the world to find a partner. I may not get another shot at Total Drama, though."

"That is true. We must think of ourselves lucky for getting to come back," Dalit agreed.

"If all else fails, you're free to do what you want after you're voted out. It worked for me and Dalit," Nolan chuckled to Quentin.

"Maybe, but I don't plan on getting voted out," Quentin said.

"That's the spirit of the game, right there," Nolan beamed. "No matter what happens, even if losing seems guaranteed, you never back down until the very end. Anything can happen."

"Even when you're using a statue to save someone who doesn't want to be there and getting yourself eliminated?" Dalit doubted.

"Look, we've all made mistakes, and I'm not letting the dice tell me that my game is over this time," Nolan groaned.

"That's what makes getting a second chance so great," Quentin smiled. "We've learned from our last time playing, and we know what not to do."

"I just realized, don't you have better food in your penthouse?" Dalit asked Quentin.

"I'd rather spend time with you guys," Quentin beamed.

"You could have just invited us into your penthouse to eat!" Dalit called out.

"...Oh yeah. Heh," Quentin realized.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Nolan:** Well, I didn't connect with Dalit as much as I'd hoped, but it's a start. She seems comfortable enough around me to take jabs at me, although I feel like she's willing to take jabs at people no matter how friendly she actually is to them. I'll have to keep at it.

**Dalit:** I think Nolan is annoying. He only sees this as a game for fun. People like me can really use the money from if I win, so he should just lose already if it's just another game to him! What does he care? He can play another game!

**Quentin:** Maybe I really am lucky, getting the chance to come back and all. _(He chuckles.)_ Dalit's kind of cynical, but I guess given how she grew up, that makes a lot of sense. She's not a bad person at all, though. She's been a good friend to Frita, from what I've seen.

* * *

Bailey wrote something down in her motel room when she heard a knock on the door.

"Hm?" Bailey stood up and answered it to see Irving on the other side. "Irving? Is something the matter?"

"I'm actually not Irving," the figure said in a voice that revealed it to be Vladimir. "But if someone who looked like Barry approached you, people would get suspicious."

"You... have an Irving disguise?" Bailey pieced together.

"It could come in handy. Who knows?" Vladimir shrugged. "May I enter?"

"You may," Bailey relented, gesturing for him to enter the room.

Vladimir shut the door behind him.

"You must have something important to tell me if you felt the need to disguise yourself and approach me," Bailey surmised.

"You're sharp," Vladimir complimented. "You see, it's getting more and more apparent to me that Shadya and Steve Jenkins aren't people I can rely on. I know you and your allies have been after me for a while, but I'm willing to pledge my allegiance to you guys. It would mean breaking the stalemate in votes, and, if a team swap occurs, it could benefit us to have as many allies as possible."

"You're smart yourself. Surely you know how suspicious it seems to abandon your allies just to latch onto a different alliance," Bailey pointed out. "Especially with the knowledge that, if you did, you'd be the _de facto_ bottom of the totem pole, having proven your loyalty the least of the five of us."

"I'd think that should prove that I truly do mean business," Vladimir stated. "After all, all of that is pretty easy to figure out, and yet I'm extending this offer to you in spite of it. I genuinely believe that this could benefit you as well as me."

"I do have one more question," Bailey mentioned.

"Of course," Vladimir preemptively agreed to answer.

"Why did you ask me specifically?" Bailey asked.

Vladimir laughed a bit. "A couple of reasons. For one, you're easily the most approachable of your alliance, and the most reasonable as well, by my estimation. Of course, I also heard a rumor that you've convinced Shadya that you're working with her when you clearly are not. I'll admit, having heard that, I'm interested in you as a player. If that's true, then that tells me that you're willing to play sneaky. As a master of disguise, I find that very appealing."

"You do look awfully convincing as Irving," Bailey pointed out. "Can you match his voice?"

"Not as well as I'd like. I spent months nailing the Barry impression, not that it did me any good since people figured me out so quickly," Vladimir lamented. "But I'm not here to be flattered over my abilities of disguise, even though I won't tell you to stop. I'm here to ask: are you willing to do whatever it takes to win, Bailey?"

Vladimir extended his hand for a shake.

"...Without a doubt," Bailey confirmed and reciprocated the handshake.

"I look forward to seeing where this takes us," Vladimir smirked. "Now, I should go change back into Barry before people realize there are two Irvings walking around."

"That might be for the best, yes," Bailey giggled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Vladimir:** If you can't beat them, join them, and it's becoming clearer to me that I will not be able to beat this alliance with the setup that I have. I am fully aware that this puts me at the bottom of the majority, but that still puts me in the majority. I can use the time I've just bought to better my position in this game.

**Bailey:** I don't know how much I intend to hold up my deal with Vladimir. I do want to win, absolutely, but he's someone that I'm simply not sure that I can trust. Breaking the likely tie would be nice, but is there a better way to do that? That's what I need to figure out before our next vote.

* * *

Cyan and Louise had just sat down at the bar in the barcade, where Jayne was working once again.

"Alright, Jayne, do you remember how to make a Blue Lagoon?" Cyan asked.

"Loading... yes, I put it in the 'Very Situational Information' folder. Coming right up," Jayne informed her.

"I feel like it shouldn't be that situational if you're going to be working here the whole game," Cyan commented.

"I'd like a big delicious beer," Louise mentioned.

In the middle of grabbing everything to make Cyan's cocktail, Jayne grabbed a tall glass and ran it under the beer tap. They set the drink on the bar in front of Louise.

"¡_Muchas gracias_!" Louise beamed.

"I can't believe we're day-drinking when there's probably an Invincibility challenge today," Cyan giggled.

"Ah, we can have coffee after one drink," Louise figured. "I, for one, want to take advantage of the bar for as long as we can. Besides, Jayne loves the company, right Jayne?"

"I prefer your company over the company of most of your team," Jayne answered.

"Yeah, but we know who you like the most," Louise teased.

"Joseph makes me feel very appreciated," Jayne smiled as they put Cyan's drink in front of her.

"We appreciate you too, but I get it. Joseph's a good-looking boy," Cyan winked before taking a sip.

Jayne's head suddenly snapped in the direction of the door. "What can I make for you, Frita?!" they called loudly, prompting Cyan and Louise to flinch.

Frita jumped, frozen in anxiety.

"Get over here, Frita!" Louise invited.

Frita nervously made her way to the bar. "I'm sorry, I-I-I'm not trying to interrupt," she gulped.

"Not at all!" Cyan assured her.

"I-I thought I'd have a small drink. Maybe it'll make me less nervous," Frita admitted. "I don't usually drink because I know that I'd probably sink into a quagmire of alcoholism and self-destruction, but you guys would stop me if things got dangerous, right?"

"I'm not permitted to serve the same person more than three drinks a day in the first place," Jayne told her.

"I'll just stick with one," Frita decided.

"What will it be?" Jayne asked.

Frita froze. "I'm sorry! I didn't think that far ahead!"

"Hey, it's alright," Louise assured her. She turned to Jayne. "Give her a whiskey on the rocks. That's a nice, comforting drink."

"...Thanks," Frita murmured.

"No problem!" Louise smacked her on the back playfully.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Cyan:** I know you shouldn't get complacent in this game, but I think my plans going forward have more or less been solidified by this point. No need to spend the day stressing out, so I figured I'd take a day to relax.

**Louise:** I feel like Jayne is basically a part of the Fighting Wyverns at this point. Maybe it's just because they run the bar, and we keep having access to the bar. Well, that, and they and Joseph are adorable together. You guys know I'm all for couples on this show.

**Frita:** I wonder how Sorrell is doing. She would drink so much back in Explore Party. She was still a more valuable team member than I was, of course, but she was in such bad shape by the end of it all. I tried to warn her, but then, why should anyone have listened to me? Anyway, my point is, I really don't want to end up like that. Just having one drink is making me feel weird. This was probably a mistake. _(She sighs.)_

* * *

Brittany and Irving sat in their team's garage hangout with music playing.

"So, have you spoken to Hugh about what Bailey told us last night?" Brittany asked.

"Nah. Haven't seen the lad around," Irving said. "Besides, Bailey said she had it covered. No need to make meself look like a control freak when she seems content to make herself look like one, eh?"

"What I'm concerned about is why she feels the need to keep up this facade to Shadya," Brittany mentioned. "Even if we need a vote to break a tie, Shadya's not the first person I would trust to flip."

"And who be the first person ye trust?" Irving inquired.

"...You know what, fair point," Brittany conceded. "Ernie's probably the most reasonable, and I know he's not a fan of Steve Jenkins. Maybe we could talk to him."

"Couldn't hurt," Irving figured. "Ye do be onto something though, Mister Brittany. Why should Bailey put such a high priority on Shadya? Sure, she be strong, but I be pretty strong meself, and I be a hell of a lot more humble, too!" Irving flexed his muscle to demonstrate.

"Mhm," Brittany responded in disbelief at his last statement. "I don't want to mistrust Bailey necessarily, nor do I think we should, but it just seems like she's trying to better her own position in the game, and it's kind of transparent."

"Well, ye can't fault a lass for trying. That be how ye get ahead, aye?" Irving mentioned.

"True, but it comes off like she would put herself ahead of the alliance if the situation demanded it," Brittany explained. "It's concerning."

"Again, that be how the game be played," Irving reasoned.

"So you're okay with her potentially screwing you over just to get ahead?" Brittany asked.

"I didn't say that. Screwing over the Dread Pirate Irving be an unforgivable crime! Worse than cooking your steak well-done!" Irving ranted. "I just be saying that I get where she be coming from. Ye should too, ye've done the same before."

"That's...!" Brittany trailed off. "That's something I'm trying _not_ to do this season. It could ruin my game and my allies' games. And the same applies to Bailey."

"What do ye suggest we do about it?" Irving asked.

"I don't know," Brittany admitted. "I was hoping you might have an idea."

"What do ye think, Greg?" Irving turned to address the robot who had been standing idly the entire time.

"The mechanics of this game go completely over my head, and the outcome of the game is of no concern to me whatsoever," Greg stated.

"At least ye be honest about it!" Irving guffawed. "Ah, it be like Lilith never left. Except ye be a lot prettier and less obnoxious."

"Thank you," Greg responded.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** I know how tempting and easy it is to turn on your allies if you feel like the numbers are more secure elsewhere. Hugh and Irving have proven that they're willing to work with us, and while they were never my first choice in allies, I trust them more than I trust the others, who all seem to be set in their ways and/or have actively targeted me.

**Irving:** I may be a cutthroat dread pirate who's loyal only to himself and will do whatever suits his whims, but I be no hypocrite! If Bailey wishes to play a sneaky game, who be I to condemn her? Of course, I be absolutely ready to stop her if I feel it's putting me at risk! I'll see what the rest of the team be feeling before selling her out, just in case.

* * *

Kun encountered Cyan in the halls of Blaising Tower.

"Afternoon," Kun smiled.

"Hey!" Cyan chirped. "Excited for the challenge?"

"Given the, um, prior pattern, this one should be for Invincibility," Kun noted. "I just hope we can, um, keep winning."

"I think we can! As long as the sea is blue, the Fighting Wyverns will prevail!" Cyan beamed. Her expression immediately turned serious. "Don't try to tell me that water isn't really blue. Nobody likes a smart-ass."

"Uh, duly noted," Kun chuckled awkwardly. "Well, um, if things do go south, how would you plan on voting?"

"Right now? I'm thinking Kiki," Cyan said. "Or at least one of her alliance. I'm not picky."

"Kiki, um, works," Kun nodded. "I wasn't sure if we should stick with her or change to one of her allies, but Jean-Marie and Joseph seemed pretty set on voting Kiki."

"I'm surprised JM isn't gunning for Dalit. She's gunning for him, I'm pretty sure," Cyan noted.

"Yes, and the fact that he isn't makes me think, um, Kiki may just be the best option," Kun mentioned. "I just wanted to see where your head is currently. Is Louise thinking similarly to you?"

"Yep. But hey, there's no need to be pessimistic," Cyan assured him. "We need to lose a challenge for any of that to matter."

"It pays to be, um, prepared," Kun figured. "Besides, we haven't really spoken about the game in a while, and, um, I wanted to make sure we were still on the same page."

"You're good, you're good," Cyan smiled.

"Glad to hear it," Kun smiled. "Take it easy."

"You too!" Cyan responded.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kun:** I think Cyan is someone I should be, um, working with closer than I am. She's a very strong social player, and a good strategic player too. Definitely the kind of person I want on my side. I mean, she, um, is already, but, well... y-you know what I meant!

**Cyan:** I don't think I've ever met anyone quite like Kun before. Even though he's kind of shy and kind of nervous, he's still pushing through it and trying to take up a leadership role. And not even doing the worst job of it that I've seen. You have to admire the courage if nothing else.

* * *

As Bailey exited her motel room, she saw Hugh on his way to his own room.

"Oh, Hugh, I have something I need to tell you," Bailey prompted.

"Well, what do you know? I've got something to tell you too," Hugh sneered proudly. "Ladies first."

"Well. Ah." Bailey cleared her throat, taken aback a bit. "I told Brittany and Irving this already, but Shadya seems to be under the impression that I'm working with her, and that Vladimir is working with you guys. I'm planning on keeping this impression of hers up so as to make things complicated for the other side. This should be made easier by the fact that Vladimir offered to work with us this morning."

"Huh. No shit?" Hugh chuckled. "Because I was just going to tell you that I managed to rope Steve Jenkins into voting with us!" Hugh cackled. "We are _running_ this team! It's too much."

"It wouldn't hurt to have as many votes on our side as we can, so we'll need a new target that isn't Vladimir," Bailey reminded him. "In light of Steve Jenkins potentially being willing to work with us, I think Ernie would be our best option, here."

"Yeah, sounds about right," Hugh figured. "He's the only one who hasn't even pretended to be interested in working with us. How are we supposed to trust him at all?"

"He openly told me that he's suspicious of me because he knows that I voted for Isidora and that I'm keeping that information from Shadya," Bailey mentioned. "I see no good reason to keep him around."

"Then it's decided," Hugh smirked. "We just have to fill the entire rest of the team in. Or at least three other people."

"Shadya still wants Irving gone, and I still don't know how much I trust Vladimir," Bailey mentioned. "But then, Steve Jenkins is kind of a wild card."

"We tell Brittany and Irving, and then we'll see just how loyal Steve Jenkins and Vladimir are willing to be. It'll work out," Hugh figured.

"That seems like an acceptable course of action," Bailey agreed.

"At worst, we tie, and even then, Shadya wants Irving gone, not us," Hugh smirked.

"That is true," Bailey smiled slightly.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Bailey:** I find it a lot easier to work with Hugh than I'd expected. Yes, he can be crass and cocky, but he knows what needs to be done in order to get ahead. I suppose that's how he was able to place as highly as he did in Alpha Party. I would do well not to underestimate him.

**Hugh:** Hahaha! _(He wipes a tear from his eye.)_ Oh, we really are just in complete control of everything, aren't we? I gotta say? It doesn't suck. Especially when we have control freaks like Shadya and Ernie on this team, and they have to answer to _us_. It's way more satisfying than it has any right to be.

* * *

Joseph watched as Jean-Marie and Nolan fought each other in the fighting game at the barcade.

"Wait, he can do that?!" Nolan flinched as Jean-Marie's character teleported behind his character and uppercut her.

"_Oui_. It is not a hard move to pull off," Jean-Marie smiled.

"I'm no good at these games in general," Joseph admitted. "You both could probably kick my ass."

"Quentin seems to enjoy this game. And Frita joined us in playing last night," Jean-Marie pointed out. "It seems to be a good point of bonding amongst us on the Fighting Wyverns."

"And hey, Frita lost every game she played against us. So if you are as bad as you say, you might be on equal footing with her," Nolan surmised.

"Yeah, maybe," Joseph responded. "I'm going to go grab a beer. You guys want one?"

"I'm good," Nolan declined.

"Feel free to spend as much time with Jayne as you wish," Jean-Marie smirked coyly.

"Come on, bro, it's not like that," Joseph mumbled, face slightly flushed. He made his way over to the bar.

"You think there's something between those two?" Nolan gossipped.

"They seem to get along particularly well," Jean-Marie said.

Jean-Marie's character in the video game knocked out Nolan's character.

"Dang it," Nolan griped. He glanced over at the bar to see Joseph and Jayne sharing a laugh about something. "They do have surprisingly good chemistry. I don't know about the ethics of a potential relationship between them, but that's probably a question for someone else to answer."

"Love comes in many forms," Jean-Marie waxed. "They may love each other in a way that lovers do not. Perhaps he truly is like a brother to them."

"I guess it's nobody's business but those two's at the end of the day," Nolan figured. "Although they remind me of when I first started really talking to CJ. They seem happy around each other."

"I'm almost jealous," Jean-Marie chuckled.

"Anyway, let's do a rematch. I know I can beat you with that last character matchup," Nolan requested.

"_Si vous insistez_," Jean-Marie agreed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Jean-Marie:** I believe that everyone is more or less settled on where their vote lies, so the Fighting Wyverns, for the most part, have been content to take it easy until we actually have to vote. It is important to enjoy the time you have available to enjoy.

**Nolan:** Jean-Marie and Joseph are good company, and I think they like hanging out with me, which is good. Things are going well for me, all things considered. I'll be honest: part of me considered hiding the fact that I was going to use the dice again this season, but people probably would have figured it out pretty quickly anyway. I think I made the right choice.

**Joseph:** Jayne's a bro, but even if they were a human person, I'm not really looking for a relationship in the first place. I get that bros tease each other, but I think JM actually thinks I like Jayne like that, which is kind of annoying. I hate being misunderstood.

* * *

Ernie met up with Steve Jenkins in the former's motel room.

"Alright, so, like I think we need to clear some air around here," Ernie began.

"I'll say. It reeks of pot in here," Steve Jenkins accused.

"I- Wha- I don't even- ...I'm a _law _student," Ernie pointed out.

"And law students are always complaining about being stressed. Don't think you can fool me," Steve Jenkins said proudly.

Ernie's mouth made a thin line as he took a deep breath. "Look!" he began. "We just need to get the votes together to, ya know, take out Irving. I talked to Shadya and she said she's on board. Did you talk to Bailey like you said you would?"

"When did I say that?" Steve Jenkins doubted.

"Literally last night when we were at the diner," Ernie groaned. "Vladimir was there, too."

"I don't remember saying that," Steve Jenkins shrugged.

"Whatever. You're still good to vote for Irving?" Ernie made sure.

"You need to have more faith in me. I'm Steve Jenkins, not some loser who couldn't even get into All-Stars," Steve Jenkins chuckled.

"Yes. Or no?" Ernie asked point-blank.

"Yes, alright?" Steve Jenkins winced.

"That's all we can ask you for," Ernie said. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "This game's a lot more work than the last one. I just want to make sure it all works out, ya know? People like Irving are unpredictable. We need to get rid of him before he does something stupid and screws us all over."

"I feel that," Steve Jenkins nodded. "I'm sure it'll all work out. It usually does."

"It's only worked out for one of us here, and she got incredibly lucky," Ernie claimed. "If we want things to, like, work out, we need to... ugh, put in the effort. We probably won't get another shot at this game."

"Damn, that's true, huh?" Steve Jenkins realized.

"I haven't played this game in six years. I never thought I'd, ya know, get to come back," Ernie mentioned. "I'm not going to let it go to waste."

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Steve Jenkins:** See, now I just don't know for sure what I want to do. Ernie's right about Irving being kind of a wild card, and wild cards don't obey logic, like the logic of doing what's best for Steve Jenkins. On the other hand, Ernie's talked mad shit about me all game, so how am I supposed to trust him, either? Maybe I'll talk to Shady and see where she's at. Shady and I go way back, so she'll be looking out for Steve Jenkins.

**Ernie:** _(He lets out a heavy yawn.)_ I'm no stranger to having to rely on idiots to vote my way, but I'd figure that I'd at least have a smarter batch of people to choose from in an All-Stars season. I already pretty much told Bailey I'm out to get her, so it's not like I can necessarily, like, jump ship over to them. Ugh, I don't know, it's too early for me to be thinking this hard about it.

* * *

Quentin had invited Dalit and Frita up to his penthouse. Dalit and Quentin sat in the bedroom.

"I don't think this outfit is going to fit me," Frita's voice said from the other side of the closed bathroom door. "I'm half a foot taller than you, Dalit."

"Maybe if you show some skin you will feel more confident in yourself," Dalit claimed.

"I think that's the opposite of true," Frita sighed. "I'm not wearing this."

Frita stepped out of the bathroom in her usual clothes and returned the clothes Dalit lent back to her.

"How will you be confident if you cannot get out of your comfort zone?!" Dalit challenged, annoyed.

"Hey, Frita just needs to go at her own pace," Quentin interjected. "If she doesn't want to wear it, she doesn't have to."

Frita fought back tears as she quickly walked towards the door out of the penthouse and left.

"Come back here!" Dalit shouted, to no response. She growled, annoyed.

"Don't you think you're being a little hard on her?" Quentin asked.

"She said she is in this game because it's her only time to talk to people," Dalit stated. "As her friend, I am making her more confident so she can feel good about herself and talk to people out of the game."

"I think she's already tough on herself as is, you know?" Quentin asked. "I think she responds better to just treating her nicely, encouraging her with affirmation, not with challenge. Kind of like Bijou did with you."

"What are you saying?!" Dalit snapped. "That I am treating her like my slave?!"

"Th-That's not what I'm saying at all!" Quentin panicked. "Not even close."

"I think I understand you. I'm the wealthy man who likes ordering her around, and you're the Bijou or Ephraim who's nice to her and is going to save her from me!" Dalit accused.

"That's not what I'm saying!" Quentin cried. "Dalit, please, we can't let this escalate. Let's just calm down and-"

"I will not be accused like this! You don't know how hard I had it! Nobody does!" Dalit shouted.

She stormed out of the penthouse. Quentin caught his breath, made his way to his bed, and wept.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Quentin:** I hate having to work out tense situations with no time to think about it. I think that was actually my fear challenge in Alpha Party. I don't even know where Dalit got slavery out of what I was saying to her. I must have hit a nerve without realizing it. I'll have to apologize to her later... Once I'm sure she's not mad at me anymore.

**Dalit:** I will not be made the bad guy when I am doing the most out of everyone to help Frita out! She is just like I was: a fish out of the water. Just because you are nice to someone doesn't mean you're helping them out. Being nice is easy. Taking action is hard work!

**Frita:** Even my friends think of me like I'm some kind of glass ornament: delicate and useless. _(She sighs.)_ I don't know why I'm disappointed. Everyone thinks of me like that. Why did I expect any differently?

* * *

Brittany ate lunch alone at Hatchet's Diner until Shadya joined her with food of her own.

"Brittany. A word," Shadya commanded.

"Okay?" Brittany acquiesced.

"I'm aware that you voted for Isidora the other night," Shadya began. "And I cannot fathom why on Earth you would do that. It doesn't benefit your game in any conceivable way."

"You really don't mince words," Brittany commented. "Do you really think I'd make such a risky move if I didn't think it would help my game?"

"You've made unnecessarily risky moves in the past, and it led to your friendship with Angie deteriorating and Trinity being eliminated," Shadya stated.

Brittany's face fell. "That wasn't necessary to point out."

"You accused me of making an error in judgment, so I backed up my stance with evidence," Shadya leered.

"Well, then I guess you've answered your own question," Brittany exasperated. "I voted for Isidora because I'm irrational and bad at the game."

"I don't need your sass," Shadya leered.

"Well, what did you expect me to say?" Brittany asked. "You clearly already think of me as someone who doesn't know what she's doing, you already said you can't possibly understand why I made the move I did. What did you expect out of this whole conversation?"

"You aren't dumb," Shadya told her. "I know you know how this game works and what you need to do. That's why I don't understand why you make the moves you do."

"It's not like I don't put thought into my moves," Brittany sighed. "The Trinity vote was a mistake. I knew that the instant it happened. But I make whatever moves I feel like will benefit me the most in the long term. Surely you have to understand that. You've set _chess _records."

"And how does Isidora leaving benefit you in the long term?" Shadya challenged.

"She was tight with Steve Jenkins, who is gunning for me," Brittany explained. "If the vote was going to head in that direction, who was I to say no?"

"And it didn't occur to you that maybe they didn't have the votes to get rid of you if they wanted?" Shadya doubted.

"You can't run that risk in Total Drama," Brittany said. "That's also something I'd think you'd understand after you were eliminated on Rhiannon's watch."

Shadya's face twisted in anger.

"Doesn't feel good, does it?" Brittany asked. She ate the last of her french fries, stood up, and picked up her empty plate. "I'll see you at the challenge."

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** Shadya playing the big scary fearless threat might have worked for her in her season, where challenge strength determined a lot, but this is All-Stars. Everyone here has experience with this game, and everyone on this _team_ knows how to make it relatively far. Mostly, I feel like she truly believes I'm beneath her, whether she's even consciously aware of it or not. I can't say I'm a fan.

**Shadya:** Brittany should have been the easiest person to jump ship against Irving of all people, and yet here we are. Who's next? Hugh? I already swore that I'd renounce my accolades before I ever worked with him on purpose. Vladimir? He's shifty, to put it lightly, but that might have to be the play. I'm really growing to hate this team.

* * *

Louise came to her team's garage hangout and switched on the PlayStation.

"Time to get some practice in on hockey so I can kick Nolan's ass later," Louise grinned.

"I fail to understand the connection between playing video games and increasing one's fighting skills," a voice came from behind her.

"Jeez!" Louise jumped. She turned around to see Greg standing there. "Oh, it's you. The other robot."

"My name is Greg," Greg reminded her.

"Right. Sorry for forgetting," Louise apologized. "Anyway, I meant I was going to kick his ass in the game. Not in real life. If it was real life, I'd thrash him."

"Then why aren't you fighting him in real life?" Greg asked. "It sounds like Nolan will defeat you in this game, so why not partake in an activity you can win?"

"See, that's the thing," Louise said. "I have nothing to prove by sparring with him or something. I want to improve myself to the point where I can beat him in this!"

"I see. Improving your capabilities is an admirable goal," Greg nodded.

"So, what are you doing here?" Louise asked. "I know Jayne is working the bar, but do they not have anything for you to do?"

"Godfrey wants me to 'take it easy' for a few days while recovering from my loss in the challenge," Greg explained.

"Frita did do a number on you," Louise winced. "Any plans for you, though?"

"Ginger expressed intent for me to serve as room service for whoever has the penthouse," Greg said. "I do not know when I will officially be assigned this position."

"Hopefully soon. You seem kind of bored," Louise told him.

"My feelings do not matter as much as the feelings of organic people," Greg claimed.

"Hey, that's not true!" Louise frowned. "Here, want to try the video game?" She offered him a controller.

"Perhaps if this will improve my capabilities as it does yours," Greg accepted as he offered the controller.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Louise:** Yeah, Greg had no idea what he was doing in that game. It was kind of sad. Not as sad as him acting like his feelings aren't important, though! I wonder if Ginger or Jayne ever feel like that. I never got that sense from either of them. Although I guess I don't know either of them that well. Huh.

* * *

Vladimir, now dressed as Barry again, found Irving at McLean Park.

"Eager to get the challenge going?" Vladimir asked.

"Nyar, I just be enjoying the lovely weather we be having," Irving told him. "That actually be no joke. The just-right amount of heat, not all too humid, the lovely breeze. I be feeling an outdoor challenge today, though. We haven't had one since day one."

"That is true," Vladimir acknowledged. "By the way, I spoke with Bailey earlier today, and she sounded like she was interested in including me in your little alliance."

"Aye, that don't surprise me none," Irving nodded. "If ye be willing to work with us, I can't say I be one to turn down another member of me crew. Ye can be the cabin boy for now, but if ye prove yourself, ye can work your way up."

"I'm flattered," Vladimir chuckled. "I just wanted to make sure you were interested, too."

"Well, if ye were to work with us, who would ye gun for?" Irving asked.

"Hey now, I know you know better than that," Vladimir smirked. "You target me for days, suddenly accept my proposal to work with me, and then prod me about who I want to get rid of? If I didn't know better, I'd think you were lying to me and just wanted to hear a name from my lips so you can throw me under the bus to whoever I mention."

"Gyarharhar! Ye got me!" Irving laughed. "Although I can't say I be against the idea of working with ye. I have no strong vendetta against ye, but once I already called ye out, I couldn't just back down from that."

"Why not?" Vladimir asked.

"...Well damn, I hadn't thought of that," Irving said. "Gyarhar! Kidding, of course. Obviously, once I fire the first shot, that be a rift of trust between us. Why should ye trust me when I threw ye under the bus? And why should I trust ye when ye have no reason to trust me?"

"Well, someone has to take the first step," Vladimir said. "I get that lying about who I am right out of the gate didn't make me seem super trustworthy. I do think we can work well together, though. We were both the hardest players in our respective seasons, I think you'll agree."

"It be tough to argue with that," Irving grinned. "Ah, what the hey? Welcome aboard, cabin boy!"

Irving grabbed Vladimir's hand and shook it violently.

"Er, thanks." Vladimir forced a smile.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Vladimir:** Irving is the person I find least trustworthy amongst the four, so I wanted to gauge his reaction to me potentially working with them. To more surprise than I should be feeling, I have no idea how truly open he is to the idea of me joining forces with him. I wonder how possible it would be to simply replace him rather than have to work with him. Hm.

**Irving:** Aye, so Bailey do be making deals behind our backs, then. I can't say I be all too comfortable with this position I find meself in, but I can't really step out of line, lest I make meself a bigger target than I already be. I'll talk it over with Mister Brittany and Hugh. I actually trust those two.

* * *

Kiki wandered through the forest of Isolation Park.

"There has to be... something..." Kiki groaned.

Her stomach growled, and she took a second to prop herself up against a tree.

"I just want to know... if Quentin found the only one... or if there are more statues..." Kiki panted. "He found the Genesis statue specifically... surely there are more modeled after other winners..."

She began to pound on the tree in frustration, only to cause something to fall from the tree and onto the ground.

"What the?" Kiki asked.

She approached the object and bent down to pick it up. It was a small bust, similar to the Genesis Statue, but in the image of a serious-looking young man. Kiki unfolded the note that was attached to the bust and began to read it.

"Oh, that's interesting," Kiki commented. She couldn't contain a smile. "That's _very_ interesting."

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kiki: **There have been so many things I've had to worry about in this game, and I think what I just found may put a lot of them to rest. I'm excited to show everyone.

* * *

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay had called the contestants together to McLean Park.

"Alright, we now see the return of Kiki from Isolation Park," Topher mentioned

Kiki ambled her way to the rest of the contestants.

"Before we continue, I feel I should ask," Kiki mentioned. "At what point does the challenge officially start?"

"The challenge has not started yet. It will start once we arrive on-location and the official 'go' has been called," Chris explained.

"I guess I'll just do this now," Kiki decided as she fished her statue out of her pocket. She read from the note she had received. "'Congratulations, you have found the Dunstan Statue'."

This already sparked murmurs amongst the other contestants.

"'Playing this statue will allow you to select one contestant still in the game and force them to change teams'," Kiki continued. "You may select yourself, a member of your team, or someone not on your team. This statue has no power during the merge. You must play this statue before a challenge'."

"Spicy!" Topher bubbled.

"This is, in fact, the Dunstan Statue," Chris confirmed as Kiki handed him the wooden object. "And who will you be forcing to mutiny?"

"I have chosen..." Kiki began.

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"Bailey," Kiki decided.

"Oh!" Bailey reacted, a bit surprised.

"What the hell?! We're already at a numbers disadvantage, you can't just do that!" Hugh shouted.

"Bailey isn't permanently on the Fighting Wyverns, right?" Brittany asked.

"Until further notice, Bailey is indeed a permanent member of the Fighting Wyverns. Hehaha," Chris chuckled.

"Well then," Bailey cleared her throat and walked up to her new team. "Hello, everybody. I hope we can work well together."

"_Mais oui_," Jean-Marie agreed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Bailey:** Well, that was... unexpected. Not to mention disappointing. I was putting so much into getting those on my team to trust me, and now I have to get to know an entirely new team. On top of that, today is likely an Invincibility challenge, so if the Fighting Wyverns lose, I'll be in a horrible position.

**Kiki:** Bailey is someone I already know, at least a little bit, and she's the person on the Grand Gryphons that I trust the most to want to work with me. Her vote could be just the thing to turn things to my favor.

**Hugh:** This is bullshit! My alliance was _running_ this team, and now one of our key members just gets plucked right out of it for no good reason! I know Steve Jenkins and Vladimir said they were keen to flip, but why should they now when we don't even have a majority anymore?! Fuck!

* * *

The contestants were led to the foyer of an inconspicuous tower.

"Alright, here's how this is going to work," Chris began as he clapped his hands together for attention. "Each participating contestant except one will be locked up on different floors of this building. It's up to the person who isn't locked up to solve puzzles in order to free their teammates. Once you're free, you can then solve further puzzles. Once everyone's been freed, there's one more puzzle to solve. Solve it, and your team wins Invincibility!"

"Do we get to pick who starts off not locked up?" Nolan asked.

"Nope! Everyone's positions will be completely randomized," Chris informed.

"And we're going to have to sit out, um, four people now in order to keep it fair?" Kun made sure.

"That's right," Topher confirmed. "Of course, you cannot sit out Dalit or Frita, since they sat out of the last one, and you can't sit out Bailey, since she just joined your team."

"Well, that's good at least," Bailey said.

"Does everyone understand how the challenge will work?" Lindsay asked.

"So it's kind of like those puzzle rooms from Virtual Party's finale, right?" Cyan surmised. "Should be easy!"

"If there are no questions, let's have the Fighting Wyverns decide who all is sitting out, randomize who will be in what position, and get things rolling!" Chris declared.

The Fighting Wyverns discussed it quietly amongst themselves.

"We've decided that, um, Quentin, Joseph, Louise, and Jean-Marie will sit out," Kun announced.

"Alright. Let's get things rolling!" Topher grinned.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Jean-Marie:** I did not wish to sit out, but neither did anyone else who was eligible to after the other three declared their lack of skill in puzzles. I saw no good reason why I _needed _to play over the others, so I offered to sit out of this one. _Mon heure viendra._

**Irving:** Gyarharhar! Well, if ever there was a kick in the arse to get ye motivated to win a challenge, losing a key member of your alliance ought to do it, aye? Thankfully, I be a genius, but I can't be so sure about some of the other folks on me team. I don't want to name names, but... Hugh and Steve Jenkins.

* * *

Every contestant had by this point been put in their decided position. This left Steve Jenkins and Kiki ready and waiting at the bottom floor.

"Alright, on my go, you will head up the flight of stairs you're standing in front of," Chris explained.

"You guys will be in similar but separate rooms, so you're going to have to rely on your own skills to win," Topher explained further.

"So they won't know how far the other team is in the challenge?" Lindsay asked.

"Nope!" Chris chuckled. "You could be several puzzles behind and not even realize it. Hehaha."

"That shouldn't be a problem. I'm not planning on falling behind," Kiki vowed.

"She clearly doesn't know who she's up against," Steve Jenkins bantered to nobody in particular.

"Aaaaaaaaaand..." Chris began. "GO!"

The two contestants ran up their respective staircases.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kiki:** I'm feeling good about a puzzle challenge, especially since we have the luxury of getting to sit out the people who don't think they'd be as good at puzzles. Granted, I am still dying to eat something, but that can wait until after we win.

**Steve Jenkins:** I'd say it's about time we turn things around for Team Steve Jenkins over here, and with me "randomly" selected as the team leader this time, I think I can ensure that we do just that. When Steve Jenkins is in charge, it drives people to do better. That's a statistically proven fact for you right there.

* * *

Steve Jenkins made it to the second floor of the tower and found himself in a room with little else in it but a screen on the wall and a door next to the screen. The lighting was scarce and the decorations and furniture in the room were bare minima at best. The screen flickered to reveal the image of a poshly-dressed young man.

"Greetings, peasant," the man greeted patronizingly.

"Oh hey, you're that Robby kid from Virtual Party, aren't you?" Steve Jenkins recognized. "I'm going to have to assume you pre-recorded this message because I am no-"

"In order to free your first teammate and obtain access to the third floor, you'll have to solve a simple puzzle on your own," Robby interrupted.

"It's rude to interrupt, you know," Steve Jenkins huffed.

"You'll see a grid with various colored dots," Robby explained. Your job is to link together the same-colored dots. If done correctly, every box in the grid should be filled with a dot or a line connecting the dots. Lines cannot overlap, and you cannot draw lines diagonally. Best of luck."

The message ended, and the grid that Robby had mentioned displayed itself on the screen.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a nearly identical room, Kiki stood in front of a similar screen which had just gone from Robby's message to a similar puzzle.

"Alright, this shouldn't be too hard," Kiki decided. "Nothing can overlap. I think that actually makes things easier."

She dragged her finger across the screen, drawing lines between the dots. It took very little time before she successfully completed the puzzle. With a short jingle, the door next to the screen popped open.

"Well, that was easy," Kiki commented as she entered the doorway.

On the other side was a small room with Frita sitting against the wall and another open door across from Kiki with a staircase behind it.

"That was fast," Frita mentioned.

"Yeah, well we shouldn't get used to it. There's no way the puzzles won't get harder the further we get into the challenge," Kiki said.

"Oh boy," Frita sighed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Frita:** I'm still kind of woozy from that drink I had earlier. Ugh, I'm such an idiot, I should have known that it would affect my ability to stay focused in a challenge! ...Who am I kidding, I was never going to be of any help in this one.

* * *

Kiki and Frita made it to the next floor, where they found themselves in a room that looked very similar to the previous one. The two approached the screen, and another message from Robby began to play.

"I see you did the easiest puzzle of the bunch all by yourself. Masterfully done," Robby jeered. "This one will be a bit tougher, so make good use of your teammate you just rescued. You'll see what looks like strings of squares at the top of the puzzle, with letters at the very bottom of the puzzle. Those letters will go into one of the boxes in the column above them. When done correctly, you'll have filled out a phrase that will grant you access to the next room of the challenge."

"Sounds like something you can do pretty easily without my help," Frita commented.

"Not a chance. You're a part of the team, and you're going to help the team," Kiki instructed.

"It's not that I don't want to, it's that I can't," Frita claimed.

By this point, the screen had changed from Robby's message to the puzzle at hand.

"Why not?" Kiki challenged.

"Because I'm not good at puzzles!" Frita cried.

"So you refuse to even try?" Kiki dragged some of the standalone letters to their obvious places in the strings of boxes. "You won't get better at anything if you don't practice. Believe me, I understand what it's like to lack confidence. But refusing to gain some won't get you anywhere."

Frita sighed.

* * *

In the next room over, Steve Jenkins and Hugh had just finished listening to Robby's message.

"I don't get it," Steve Jenkins admitted. "Uh, that is to say, it's not that I don't _get_ it, because I'm Steve Jenkins, but, uh, the whims of the common man can be so incomprehensible that-"

"It'll probably make more sense once we see the puzzle," Hugh interrupted, annoyed.

The screen changed to display the same puzzle that the Fighting Wyverns were attempting.

"Oh, okay, this makes sense," Hugh nodded. "The letters go... Yeah, this shouldn't be too hard. We just need to figure out what words can even go in what spots."

"These are short words," Steve Jenkins nodded as Hugh moved a few letters into their obvious places. "The word 'a' goes right there."

"Sure does," Hugh agreed as he moved the letter A into the standalone box.

"What's this two-letter word? He? Be?" Steve Jenkins asked.

"Well, we know the second letter is probably E in that case," Hugh thought aloud as he moved the E up to its spot.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Hugh:** Steve Jenkins is being surprisingly helpful in this one. I can't assume that that means he plans on sticking with us now that Bailey's out of the picture, but who knows? Stranger things have happened in this game.

* * *

Kiki had already moved several letters and filled in several words by now as Frita stood and watched.

"Any input? At all?" Kiki asked Frita.

"What if I'm wrong and I throw off the entire puzzle?" Frita fretted.

"Then I can just move the letters back to where they were and very little time is lost," Kiki exasperated.

"...That long word might be 'summer'," Frita mumbled.

Kiki looked at the letters that might go in the six-letter string of boxes.

"Oh hey, that could actually work," Kiki realized. She moved the letters to spell out 'summer'. "And this word could be 'sure', this one has to be 'you'... Yeah, that works!"

"Really?" Frita asked.

"This is going to make filling it out so much faster, actually," Kiki smirked. "This word is 'star'... Yeah, I can finish this!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Hugh and Steve Jenkins continued filling in their dropdown puzzle.

"The first sentence is 'A star will be born this summer'," Steve Jenkins relayed as he filled in the last word of the sentence.

"Yeah, that makes sense," Hugh nodded. "Also, shoot, the first word of the next sentence is definitely 'do'. Then the other two-letter word ending in O is 'to'.

"We've so got this," Steve Jenkins grinned.

"This challenge is ours!" Hugh echoed.

The two filled in the sentence to completion.

"'A star will be born this summer. Do what you can to make sure it's you!'" the two read in unison.

Just like that, the door opened, and they found Brittany waiting in a room identical to the behind-the-door rooms on the previous floor.

"Hey, guys. That didn't take too long," Brittany smiled.

"Yeah, we're genii. Tell Steve Jenkins something he doesn't know," Steve Jenkins boasted as he began to make his way up the stairs.

"Is 'genii' the plural of 'genius'?" Brittany doubted quietly to Hugh.

"I think the point came across," Hugh snickered. "Hey, Steve Jenkins, wait up!" He ran up the stairs as well.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** Am I crazy or are those two actually starting to get along? God, I hope not. Steve Jenkins has been the biggest proponent of voting me out, and with Bailey gone, and Irving having already rubbed Hugh the wrong way, there's a very real chance that Steve Jenkins can get Hugh to flip. I need to make sure that doesn't happen. Somehow.

* * *

The Grand Gryphons arrived at the next floor, in a room identical to the previous two. The three approached the screen, which had a keyboard attached to it unlike the previous two.

"_Typing_?!" Steve Jenkins cringed. "The only typing Steve Jenkins does is when he's responding to his adoring fans in the comment section. That's Steve Jenkins on YouTube. You can't miss me."

"Yeah, I don't think I will miss you," Brittany muttered.

The screen powered on to show another of Robby's messages.

"You're really making your way up in the world. Or at least in the tower," Robby tittered. "You'll notice the keyboard on this console. That's because this puzzle is a crossword. This will test your knowledge of the previous Total Drama Party seasons. If all three of you are hopelessly unaware, you can press the hint button on the bottom right of the screen, but if you do, it will delay your door opening by twenty seconds for each hint."

"How well do you guys know your Total Drama Party facts?" Brittany asked as the screen loaded up the crossword puzzle.

"More than the average person, less than, I don't know, Nestor," Hugh estimated. "I doubt they're going to make this too hard."

"Have faith in us, Brit. We're genii, remember?" Steve Jenkins winked.

* * *

Meanwhile, Frita and Kiki, now with Nolan having joined them, had finished hearing the same message from Robby.

"Easy. We all studied up on the previous seasons before coming on here, right?" Kiki asked.

Frita sighed.

"I did, don't worry," Nolan assured Kiki.

The screen showed the crossword puzzle, which had about twenty prompts to fill in. Prompts included things like "Seventeenth person voted out of Alpha Party", "Jeremy's luxury item", or "Veteran who co-hosted Explore Party's fourth round".

"They're thinkers, but they're things I think we can remember without too much difficulty," Nolan figured.

"Exactly," Kiki nodded. She turned to Frita. "How many times have you watched at least Explore Party?"

"Why would I embarrass myself further by watching myself fail on TV?" Frita asked.

"Oh my-" Kiki took a deep breath. "Okay. Time to focus. Jeremy's luxury item is easy. His notebook."

Kiki touched 6 Across and typed 'NOTEBOOK' on the keyboard.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Nolan:** Puzzles are just games with no stakes if you ask me, so I'm not as sharp with them as others might be. But I want to at least give it a shot. People need to see me as an asset to the team, so I'll do whatever I can to prove that I am.

* * *

Kiki and Nolan continued to fill in the crossword prompts as Frita awkwardly hovered behind them.

"'Erica's fear from House Party's fear challenge'..." Kiki tried to remember. She turned to Nolan. "We were both _in _that season, we should know this."

"To be fair, neither of us made it to that challenge," Nolan tsked. "I feel like it was rejection."

"That's too many letters," Kiki said with a shake of her head. Her stomach growled. "Ugh, I hardly got anything to eat in Isolation Park."

"No, you know what it was?" Nolan remembered.

He commandeered the keyboard and typed 'MARRIAGE'.

"Oh, that's right, that uncomfortable scene with her and Barry!" Kiki recalled.

"By the way, the Barry in this game is totally Vladimir, right?" Nolan brought up.

"Probably," Kiki figured. "I guess we can ask Bailey later."

"Shouldn't we be focused on the challenge...?" Frita murmured.

"You're right, Frita. Thanks," Kiki agreed as she returned her attention to the screen. "Let's see, the second person to get a Day-to-Day Advantage in Virtual Party? What the hell? Is that an aspect of that season I'm just completely forgetting?"

* * *

Meanwhile, the Grand Gryphons hurried to complete their crossword as well.

"What the hell is a Day-to-Day Advantage?" Hugh asked.

"I actually know this one," Brittany said. She typed 'JYNXIE' into the crossword. "The challenges that season had hidden advantages around them, but only two of them were found if you don't count the golden Invincibility cubes."

"I straight-up don't remember that. And I was there!" Steve Jenkins mentioned.

"What? You were in Shuffle Party, not Virtual Party!" Hugh responded.

"I'm always there. With everyone. In spirit. Steve Jenkins transcends physical barriers," Steve Jenkins claimed.

"...Well, anyway, we just have to fill in this last one," Brittany mentioned. "The person who got the most confessionals in the Total Drama Party subseries. I think we can rule out anyone from Explore or Virtual Party since those only had half the episodes to work with."

"Probably someone who made finale, too," Hugh figured. "I think Genesis fits in there."

"You really think the girl who can't speak had the most confessionals?" Steve Jenkins asked.

Hugh typed in 'GENESIS'. It was the correct answer.

"Huh. No kidding?" Steve Jenkins emoted.

The door opened, and the trio found Irving and Vladimir on the other side.

"The brig has opened!" Irving cheered.

"Aw, and you were only up to eighty-seven bottles of rum on the wall," Vladimir faux-lamented.

"I can finish the rest, if ye wish," Irving grinned.

"Don't," Hugh said flatly.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Irving:** Every now and again I think about starting a YouTube channel where I sing covers of sea shanties. With me gravely, masculine voice, methinks I could really sell it! I just need to buy meself a good microphone, and I'll be set!

**Vladimir:** He can't sing on-key to save his life.

* * *

The Grand Gryphons made it to the next floor, in another identical room. Robby's message powered on once everyone was there to hear it.d

"You're nearly there. Keep it up and you may even win," Robby chuckled. "This next puzzle is color sudoku. Now, I'm sure I don't have to explain the rules of sudoku, but just in case, you have a 9x9 grid composed of nine 3x3 grids. You must fill in all the squares so that each row, column, and 3x3 grid has only one instance of each color. It's normally played with numbers, but having colors instead makes it tougher to keep track of. Enjoy!"

"This shouldn't be too hard to get done quickly with five of us working on it," Vladimir figured as the screen changed to show the sudoku puzzle.

"That'll apply to the other team, too, though, so we can't get complacent," Brittany reminded everyone.

"See, but there's one important thing to keep in mind here," Steve Jenkins prefaced.

"The other team doesn't have Steve Jenkins," the others all exasperatedly finished in unison.

"You guys are the best fans I could ever hope for," Steve Jenkins expressed as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"Anyway, let's see if there's an easy place to start," Vladimir suggested as he looked over the puzzle. "Is there any square where we can place something without a shadow of a doubt?"

"I think orange has to go there," Brittany pointed to a spot. "Since there's orange there and there, and then those two squares in this column are already filled in."

"That looks right," Hugh figured.

"Off to a great start already," Steve Jenkins grinned.

"I feel like this may actually be easier to fill in than if there were numbers," Irving mentioned. "Colors be easier to pick out. Unless ye be colorblind, I suppose."

"All races are valid!" Steve Jenkins proclaimed.

His teammates gave him a strange look and then returned their attention to the puzzle.

* * *

The Fighting Wyverns had arrived at the next floor, now joined by Bailey and Kun, and had seen Robby's message.

"Sudoku seems pretty straightforward," Kun nodded. "If we all work together, I know we can, um, finish this quickly."

"Agreed," Bailey agreed.

"It's not the most exciting challenge," Nolan commented.

"Well, it can't all be dodgeball or pushing heavy wagons," Kiki figured. "We need some brain power challenges, too."

"I just wish we could at least see how the other team was doing," Nolan lamented. "I want to know how much better or worse we're doing than they are."

"They're a pretty smart team. They're probably in the lead," Frita sighed.

"Then we should, um, focus on doing the puzzle, then," Kun brought up.

"Yes, that seems prudent," Bailey backed up. "Why don't we each choose a color and focus on trying to fill that color in?"

"There are, um, nine colors and only, um, five of us," Kun said. "Let's just do what we can and not narrow our vision if we don't have to."

Kiki's eye sparkled a bit. "You don't need to talk down to her just because she's new to the team, Kun. She's clearly a very smart woman."

"I-I wasn't- I mean, I wasn't trying to- I was just-!" Kun stammered.

"Let's just focus on the puzzle," Bailey reiterated.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Bailey:** Kun explained the team dynamics to me as best he could while we were waiting for the others to arrive. I still think it's too early for me to be taking any sides, so I'm going to put my focus into just making sure the Fighting Wyverns win so I don't have to take any sides.

**Kun:** Hm, so Kiki's trying to make me, um, look bad in front of Bailey then, hm? So much for me ever reconsidering her as a target. That was just, um, uncalled for.

* * *

Jean-Marie, Joseph, Louise, and Quentin sat in the foyer of the tower the contestants were navigating.

"Alright, who's the one person from your season you wish could be here on Fighting Wyverns?" Louise asked. "Nothing against who did make it, but just to kill time."

"Felix for sure," Joseph answered. "I know they could never swing it so both of us would make it, because it's one boy and one girl from each season on each team. But he was my bro and he was robbed as hell."

"What about the other team having both Barry and Ernie?" Quentin asked.

"One of them is very clearly Vladimir," Jean-Marie told him.

"...Oh. Yeah, I guess that would make sense," Quentin laughed awkwardly.

"If I had to pick a girl, I guess Cosette. I haven't talked to her a bunch, but she and Felix are really close," Joseph followed up.

"I'd definitely pick Jim," Louise said. "He was done so dirty in Shuffle Party, and he could still use some money now that his kid Emerald is getting older. Plus, we were always cool, he and I."

"_Très compréhensible_," Jean-Marie nodded. "As for me, there aren't many options from Explore Party, but now that Sorrell is completely sober, I would be interested in seeing her try the game again. Kristin was also a good ally to me, but I don't believe she wishes to return."

"For me, it's Kelsey," Quentin mentioned. "We were allies, of course, and then she also ended up getting voted out way earlier than she should have because she hurt herself and couldn't do as much in the challenges. I haven't really heard a lot from her since Alpha Party. I think she's busy getting a teaching degree or something."

"How about the Grand Gryphons?" Louise asked. "Anyone you wish had shown up? Anyone you're looking forward to playing with?"

"Well, I'm damn glad Lilith's gone already," Joseph mentioned. "I'm not sure how ready I am to play with Irving. It's really hard to gauge how he's thinking. Dunstan's a bro. I know he already won, but I'd be good if he came back."

"Elmer goes without saying," Louise said. "I liked Virgil, too. Wisdom was decent. Mine are kind of obvious, I guess. I'm interested in facing Shadya, for sure. She's tough and really good at the game. I don't have any strong opinions on Steve Jenkins."

"I do wish to meet back up with Brittany," Jean-Marie admitted. "I've no attachment to Vladimir; if anything, he worries me. I'd have liked to see Angie back, but I don't think she wanted to come back, either."

"Vardaman was my ally," Quentin mentioned. "Amelie was neat, too. I'm kind of surprised to see Isidora gone already since she's really good at the game. I'm not surprised Hugh is still in since he knows how to play aggressively. I'm kind of worried about playing against him."

"For sure," Louise agreed. "I think we can do it, though! We're the _Fighting_ Wyverns, and we've proven that!"

"Yeah!" Joseph cheered.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Joseph:** It's wild that so many of us have played, and only twenty got to come back. It really puts things in perspective, that we've got to make the most of our second shot!

**Louise:** I guess Quentin and Tori aren't on good terms anymore. That sucks, I thought they were cute together. I don't want to pry, but I'm soooooo curious! I don't even know Tori, and I want to fix this. I know it's none of my business, but you guys know what a romantic I am.

* * *

After a fair bit of time, the Fighting Wyverns had finished their sudoku puzzle and had unlocked the door to proceed to the next floor. Cyan and Dalit sat in wait in the room that connected the floors.

"At last! Let us get the victory," Dalit grinned with determination as she stood up readily.

"What she said!" Cyan agreed as she stood up readily as well.

The group all arrived at the top floor to find a room identical to the previous ones, minus the door next to the screen. The door closed itself behind the Fighting Wyverns.

"If I had to guess, this seems to be the last one," Nolan commented.

"Then let's hurry up and solve it!" Cyan said with determination.

They all approached the screen, which turned itself on.

"This one is incredibly simple," Robby said. "Find the way out."

The screen turned off.

"The door is right there. I found the way out!" Dalit declared.

Silence.

"It may not be that easy," Bailey deduced.

"Well, what else could it be?!" Dalit huffed.

"For a puzzle, it helps to think outside the box," Kiki thought aloud.

"Let's see, if the, um, the door isn't the way out, then what else could be?" Kun asked as he paced back and forth.

"Is there a knife anywhere?" Frita chuckled.

Everyone looked at her uncomfortably.

"I was joking," Frita sighed.

* * *

The Grand Gryphons, now including Ernie and Shadya, had just heard Robby's latest message.

Ernie tugged on the locked door they had just gone through. "Well, like, this ain't it, chief."

Shadya looked to the ceiling. One of the ceiling tiles had the phrase 'The Way Out' written on it. Shadya bent down, and then agilely leaped into the air and smacked the ceiling tile. The screen powered back on.

"Congratulations, you guys!" Lindsay announced. "The Grand Gryphons win Invincibility!"

This was met with cheering from several members of the team, elated at having broken their losing streak.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Shadya:** That was the oldest brain teaser in the book. But if the other team was genuinely unable to figure that out, then, well, it's no wonder none of them were able to make it to the merge. I'm counting Bailey in that group, by the way, because she only qualified for her merge by being randomly selected.

**Ernie:** Welp, Bailey's out of my hair, so, if nothing else, that's, like, one less headache to worry about. Maybe I can actually get things to go the way I want them to, now. Wouldn't that be something?

* * *

The eighteen contestants met up with Chris, Topher, and Lindsay in the foyer of the building.

"Alright, the results are in, and the Grand Gryphons have won the challenge!" Chris announced.

"As it should have been from the start," Shadya nodded.

"Fighting Wyverns, follow me to the Elimination Station," Chris beamed. "One of you will be the first person of the Party era to not make the merge twice!"

"I'll... take that as a vote of confidence," Bailey commented.

"Shut up! I've been waiting so long to say that," Chris pouted.

He led the losing team away from the scene.

"Alright, Grand Gryphons! It's time for your Best/Worst vote!" Topher announced as Lindsay handed them all pencils and papers. "Vote for who you thought did the best and the worst in the challenge. Whoever gets the most Best votes will get to live in the penthouse until the end of the next challenge. Whoever gets the most Worst votes will be sent to Isolation Park until the start of the next challenge."

"How are we supposed to base our vote on anything when we were, ya know, locked in a room for a big portion of it?" Ernie asked.

"Just trust the word of Steve Jenkins," Steve Jenkins began.

"Up up up! No discussing the vote!" Topher scolded.

"Just do as you think I'd do," Steve Jenkins told his team.

"I will not," Shadya responded.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Hugh:** It feels good to take a break from having to worry about the vote. Especially after Bailey got yoinked right out of our team. I'm still pissed about that! Those assholes won all the challenges before this, and then they get a statue so they can steal another one of our members? That's some rich-get-richer bullshit if I've ever seen it!

**Joseph:** I still don't know where Bailey stands, and I'm kind of worried that her and Kiki already knowing each other is going to play a factor in tonight's vote. This is also our first vote of the season, and from what I hear, it's kind of similar to how Virtual Party did it, so anything can really happen here, bros.

* * *

The Grand Gryphons had cast their ballots and turned them in to Topher.

"I have the votes!" Topher announced.

"One of the votes was very close, and the other one was a big blowout," Lindsay teased the result.

"The person you guys voted as the best... was..." Topher began.

...

...

...

...

...

"Shadya!"

"I appreciate it," Shadya accepted.

"Come on, guys, _that_ many pity votes?" Steve Jenkins scolded disappointedly.

"And the vote for the worst..." Topher began.

...

...

...

...

...

"Ernie!"

"What? I didn't _do_ anything," Ernie scowled.

"Exactly!" Irving laughed.

"Literally I didn't even have an opportunity to, by completely random chance," Ernie griped.

"There wasn't really anyone to feasibly vote for," Brittany admitted. "Sorry."

"Give me a break," Ernie groaned.

* * *

**Votes:**

**Best:**

Shadya: Brittany, Ernie, Shadya

Brittany: Hugh, Irving

Steve Jenkins: Steve Jenkins, Vladimir

**Worst:**

Ernie: Brittany, Hugh, Irving, Shadya, Steve Jenkins, Vladimir

Steve Jenkins: Ernie

* * *

Each of the Fighting Wyverns took a position at one of the lecterns down at Elimination Station.

"Well, this at least explains why there are eleven podiums," Bailey noted.

"Welcome to your first elimination, Fighting Wyverns!" Chris beamed from his elevated seat. "You guys will have half an hour, or until all the votes are cast, to discuss amongst yourselves who you want to vote out of the game! When you're ready to vote, press the corresponding face of the person you wish to vote for. Your vote will be locked in and cannot change. Have fun!"

"Well, we've had plenty of time to discuss things before we ended up here," Kiki began. "I don't think there are any secrets between us at this point, Bailey notwithstanding, of course."

"If that is the case, would you all mind filling me in on how things have gone thus far?" Bailey requested.

"Kun, Jean-Marie, and Joseph are an alliance," Kiki told her. "And they have Cyan and Louise under their thumb, too."

"I resent that!" Cyan objected. "Louise and I are playing our own games."

"I would say that if anyone has anyone under their thumb, you have had Dalit and Frita under yours," Jean-Marie told her.

"I see," Bailey nodded. "And... Nolan and Quentin? Where does that leave them?"

Nolan rolled his die and cast his vote, turning the light on his lectern red.

"W-Wait, did you just, um, vote?!" Kun gasped.

"Sure," Nolan answered. "I was always going to vote entirely by the whim of the dice. By the way, with Bailey here, rolling a d10 is now a lot cleaner, just felt I should mention that. Anyway, nobody anything says was ever going to affect my vote, so I figured I'd vote right out of the gate. No reason not to."

"Well, who'd you vote for?" Joseph asked.

"I'm not obligated to tell anybody," Nolan smirked. "Not unless I'm incentivized to, of course."

"You are just being difficult for no reason!" Dalit accused.

"It's not for no reason," Nolan said with a shake of his head. "Think about it from my point of view. I can only vote as the dice tell me to. Nobody can rely on my vote, not even me. While this makes me far less of a threat, it also makes it harder to trust me. Thus, I'm withholding information that I don't feel the need to share for free. If people can promise to keep me safe, of course, I may tell you guys."

"I'm going to be real, bro, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense," Joseph said. "What's stopping us from just voting you out?"

"Because it doesn't benefit you to do so," Nolan explained. "I am not gunning for anyone in particular. I am against nobody. Meanwhile, there are people on this team who are. People who you know for sure will vote to harm your game. It would make a lot more sense to vote for those people if you ask me."

"That does kind of make sense..." Frita admitted.

"Well, for the sake of not wasting my vote, can I ask who the targets have been?" Bailey asked. "I should imagine that the targets already know they are targets by this point."

"Either way, there isn't much that can be done about it now," Nolan added.

"I have made it loud and clear that I will be voting out Jean-Marie!" Dalit proclaimed.

"This is true, and I've been told that this actually has some traction," Jean-Marie lamented. "Meanwhile, I'm sure Kiki knows that she is on a few people's radars, herself."

"Yeah, you're intimidated by capable women, we know," Kiki said with a roll of her eyes. "You proved it when Brittany and Trinity had the nerve to oppose you in Explore Party."

"That... was not a good look, I'll admit," Jean-Marie conceded. "But you seem to be leaving out the part where you were invited to work with Kun, Joseph, and myself; you agreed, and then turned on us with little warning."

"Because I couldn't so much as speak to the women on this team without Kun confronting me about it!" Kiki shouted.

"I-I was just, um, making sure you weren't, um, making alliances without me, and-" Kun stammered.

"And how is that any of your business?" Kiki glowered.

"Because you were supposed to be our ally, bro!" Joseph accused.

"What, and let the bro mentality plague this game once again?" Kiki scoffed. "I was always going to be at the bottom of that totem pole because of my gender. I wasn't just going to settle for that, especially in All-Stars."

"Well, whatever the, um, reason, it was a breach of trust," Kun stammered.

"Trust that I tried to rebuild and you would not let me!" Kiki accused.

"What do you make of this?" Bailey quietly asked Quentin, who took the lectern next to her.

"I'm honestly not sure," Quentin admitted quietly. "I'm supposed to work with Kiki, but I trust JM, you know?"

"If I may?" Bailey interrupted the argument between Kiki and Kun. "Nolan? What would it take to reveal who you voted for?"

"All I ask is for five or more people to promise that they will not vote for me tonight," Nolan said. "I can negotiate if you can't agree to those terms, but I don't think they're unreasonable."

"I agree," Bailey said. "Anyone else?"

"Why does it matter?" Dalit asked. "We will be voting for Jean-Marie!"

"Before anyone casts their vote," Bailey pleaded as Dalit's hand hovered over the screen on her lectern. "The way Nolan votes can be the difference between tonight going your way or not. Wouldn't it be prudent to at least know where his vote lies before casting one of your own?"

"I very well could be," Jean-Marie conceded. "I never planned on voting for you tonight, Nolan. I will agree to your terms."

"Me too!" Joseph chimed in.

"I'll also agree," Quentin nodded. "I wasn't planning on losing him tonight either."

"I..." Frita's words stuck in her throat.

"I'll take that as agreeance on Frita's part," Nolan decided. "Very well. The person I rolled to vote for was Joseph."

"Bro, what?!" Joseph gasped.

"That's fine. I'm not a fan of Joseph's either," Kiki sneered.

Kiki cast her vote.

"Wait, excuse me?!" Joseph snapped. He cast his vote. "The vote is Kiki! She's a huge-ass threat! Don't let her slip by!"

Jean-Marie cast his vote. "I will stand by my word."

Frita cast her vote. "I guess," she sighed.

Dalit cast hers. "It is not who I wanted, but it will work for now."

Kun cast his vote. "I will s-stand by my ally. That's what a true leader, um, does!"

Bailey glanced at Quentin and cast her vote. Quentin pondered before casting his.

This left Cyan and Louise as the only ones not to cast their vote.

"Welp, I guess there isn't any point in dragging this out," Louise decided as she cast her vote.

Cyan cast her vote. "I really wish the blue lights didn't have to change when we voted."

"And that's all of them!" Chris announced. He took his phone out of his pocket. "I will read off the votes one by one. Whoever has the most votes against them will be grabbed by the Shackle of Shame and be eliminated from this game for good! Hehaha."

Kiki and Joseph stared one another down.

"First vote... Joseph!" Chris read from his phone.

Joseph snorted.

"Second vote... Joseph!"

"Give me a break," Joseph commented.

"Third vote... Kiki!"

"The fact that you're voting for me means I'm doing something right," Kiki claimed.

"Fourth vote... Kiki!"

"Mhm," Kiki nodded.

"Fifth vote... Joseph!"

"Yeah, yeah," Joseph dismissed.

"Sixth vote... Joseph!"

Joseph had no further comment.

"Seventh vote... Kiki!"

Kiki also had no further comment.

"Eighth vote... Kiki!"

"Yep. Playing your own games," Kiki scoffed at Cyan and Louise.

"Ninth vote... and the tenth and eleventh..."

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"Joseph!" Chris announced.

"Wait, what?!" Joseph and Kiki gasped in unison.

"But this... Those numbers don't make sense!" Kun panicked.

"Forget the numbers! I just got voted out because Nolan's stupid dice just decided it for no good reason!" Joseph ranted.

"All I did was cast one vote," Nolan claimed. "Out of courtesy for whoever gets randomly chosen, I didn't even disclose your identity as the person chosen until I was promised my own safety for doing so."

"Yeah, you could have, you know, been likable enough for us to not want to vote for you," Kiki added.

"Oh, you're one to talk," Joseph grunted. "You are a backstabbing, self-obsessed, arrogant hoe, and that has nothing to do with you being a chick. That's just you."

"Tch. Easy for you to say when you're on your way out," Kiki retorted. "Word of advice: if you react so strongly to being called out, it's probably because you aren't ready to face the fact that you're in the wrong."

"Fine. If she's going to kick me while I'm down, then just get me out of here, then," Joseph requested, upset.

"_Au revoir, _Joseph," Jean-Marie frowned.

"We will, um, keep strong, for your sake," Kun told him.

The ceiling opened up, and the Shackle of Shame made its way down, clasping around Joseph's waist. It carried the large man up off the floor and above ground. Once he was out of sight, the ceiling closed once again.

"That's all I've got for you tonight," Chris told the remaining Fighting Wyverns. "I guess the best-laid plans of mice and men really do go awry. Yeah, I've read a book or two."

"That book is required reading in most high schools," Louise pointed out.

"Look, you're all dismissed, so go, uh, dismiss yourselves!" Chris insisted sourly.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Cyan:** I didn't like doing what I did, but Kiki was right about one thing: I haven't been playing the proactive game I should be. So, by voting for Joseph, I'm opening up opportunities to explore my options. Not that he needed my vote to go home, but it's the principle of it all. I really did want to work with him, especially after how last time ended, but... _(She sighs.)_

* * *

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay all stood outside the limits of Drama City.

"Today alone, the Fighting Wyverns got a new member after the first statue was played, suffered their first loss, and their first vote resulted in a blindside so blind that not even the guy who instigated it could have seen it coming!" Chris beamed.

"So, like, did you just not read Of Mice And Men in school, or...?" Topher asked.

"It wasn't required reading at my school!" Chris snapped.

"You know what the worst part is?" Lindsay sniffled. "Now Joseph and Jayne can't get any closer! I was rooting for those two!"

"I'm pretty sure they both said they only saw each other as friends," Chris mentioned.

"Hasn't stopped people before. But hey, I'm no expert in this kind of thing," Topher mentioned.

"I'll say," Chris snickered.

"I meant about robots! I'm still dating Ella, you know!" Topher insisted.

"Well, all that aside, the vote is sure to make some waves among the Fighting Wyverns!" Chris laughed. "Kun and Jean-Marie lost a key ally, maybe even two now that Cyan is taking the initiative. And then there's Bailey joining the team."

"That alone shakes things up on the Grand Gryphons, too!" Topher mentioned. "Brittany, Hugh, and Irving are down an ally there, which could make a huge difference in how their plans play out."

"This game sure is something," Lindsay commented. "It's gotten a lot more cutthroat since I played. And we had a guy who literally cut throats!"

"Is that... what you think Duncan did to end up in prison?" Topher asked, confused.

"That's what he told me he did," Lindsay frowned.

"Well, regardless of any of that, I hope to see you all here to witness the carnage of the game, next time, on Total!" Chris began.

"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.

"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison

* * *

**Votes:**

Bailey: Joseph

Cyan: Joseph

Dalit: Joseph

Frita: Joseph

Jean-Marie: Kiki

Joseph: Kiki

Kiki: Joseph

Kun: Kiki

Louise: Kiki

Nolan: Joseph

Quentin: Joseph

* * *

**Grand Gryphons:**

Bailey - The Pragmatic Poet

Brittany - The Loyal Bombshell

Ernie - The Lazy Law Student

Hugh - The Head Villain

Irving - The Chaotic Pirate

Shadya - The Genius Athlete

Steve Jenkins - The Vlog Icon

Vladimir - The Untrustworthy Impostor

_19th: Isidora - The Asocial Bookworm_

_20th: Lilith - The Harbinger of Unrest_

**Fighting Wyverns:**

Cyan - The Sweet Madame Blue

Dalit - The Social Media Model

Frita - The Morbid Artist

Jean-Marie - The Homeless Frenchman

Kiki - The Strategic Hipster

Kun - The Awkward Team Leader

Louise - The Friendly PE Teacher

Nolan - The Wildcard Gambler

Quentin - The Lucky Ornithologist

_18th: Joseph - The True Bro_

* * *

_A/N: When it came to choosing which of Virtual Party's premerge males I wanted to include, I was torn between Joseph and Gunther, since I had ideas for both, but I ultimately settled on Joseph because he was a lot more popular, really more of an all-star. I had actually intended for Joseph to go a lot further than he ended up going, but ultimately, he wasn't really gelling with the cast as well as I'd hoped, and he didn't seem to be as popular with readers as he was last time, and any plans I might have had for him weren't super necessary to where I had to keep him longer than I felt was necessary, so I decided to axe him early. As much as I want to explore all of the Fighting Wyverns long-term since they didn't get their chance in their original season, it just isn't feasible, and someone had to be the first blood from that team. So there goes Joseph. What did you think of him this time around?_


	8. Ep 07: Heist

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay stood at the city limits of Drama City.

"Last time, on Total Drama Party with the Stars!" the three began in unison.

"It seems like everyone wants to be the big person in charge, and our players dared to skirt the lines that had already been established," Chris recapped.

"The Fighting Wyverns, for the most part, took it easy that day, with Dalit and Quentin trying to help Frita out of her shell, Jean-Marie and Nolan bonding over arcade games, Cyan and Louise vibing, and Joseph hanging out with our robot bartender Jayne," Topher recounted. "Of course, it wasn't all fun and games. Kun worried about whether or not he really wanted to keep targeting Kiki, while Kiki, sequestered in Isolation Park, searched hard for a hidden statue that might help her game."

"Which she did!" Lindsay chimed in.

"On the Grand Gryphons, Hugh and Steve Jenkins solidified their alliance, while Vladimir approached Bailey to form a deal of their own," Chris mentioned. "Ernie tried to warn Shadya about Bailey playing all sides, but Shadya insisted that the vote stays on Irving. Brittany and Irving wondered what to do about Bailey playing all sides, and didn't really come to any sort of answer. Hehaha."

"That's where that statue comes in," Lindsay recalled. "Because Kiki found the Dunstan Statue that let her choose any contestant to switch teams, and she chose Bailey! A lot of the Gryphons weren't very happy about losing another member, but it all worked out for them in the end."

"Yes indeed, the Fighting Wyverns took their first L of the summer, and had to vote someone off that night," Topher added on. "After failing to solve the last in a string of puzzles, the team of eleven saw themselves at Elimination Station."

"Both major alliances of the team put it all out there for everyone to see, hoping for Bailey to take their side," Chris continued. "Jean-Marie and Kiki both took some heat, but, upon finding out that Quentin wasn't all in on voting for Jean-Marie, Bailey convinced Nolan to reveal who he'd randomly cast his vote for. That person was Joseph, whom Kiki's alliance was more than okay with voting out."

"And now Joseph and Jayne will never discover the true love they hold for one another!" Lindsay cried.

"What was interesting to me, though, was that Cyan was one of the votes against Joseph," Topher brought up. "I wonder if that will come to light today."

"Today's challenge is strictly for reward, but that doesn't mean that the game will stop for even a second," Chris grinned. "It's all happening right now, on Total!" Chris began.

"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.

"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison.

* * *

The marquee on the sign outside Hatchet's Diner read "Complain about the eggs again and you'll be the side dish!" Within the diner, Kun miserably ate his breakfast as Jean-Marie ate at the same booth.

"The numbers just don't make sense, Jean-Marie," Kun fretted. "Cyan and Louise should have been with us, but, um only four votes were against Kiki. That means that only one person other than, um, us three voted to keep him."

"I'm concerned about this myself," Jean-Marie agreed. "And the worst of it is, we cannot say for sure who that fourth vote was. It could be Cyan or Louise. It could be Quentin. It could be Bailey."

"Exactly!" Kun echoed. "And I don't know which one is, um, more likely, because none of them make sense to me."

"The most likely to me is that Cyan may have flipped upon figuring out that Joseph would have gone home anyway," Jean-Marie hypothesized. "Louise doesn't seem the type to flip, I believe Quentin may be working with Kiki's alliance, and I don't think Bailey would have voted for Kiki after prompting Nolan to reveal his vote."

"Is Quentin working with Kiki?" Kun asked. "Damn it, I should have noticed that already."

"That is just a guess of mine. We cannot say for sure, although I do believe he is aligned with someone and not letting us know," Jean-Marie clarified.

"He seems to like hanging out with, um, Frita and Nolan. Dalit sometimes, too," Kun thought aloud. "...How did I not figure that out? I overanalyze every potential vote!"

"We had no reason to believe that the tables would turn so drastically in an instant," Jean-Marie assured him. "You cannot be blamed for not factoring in such a twist."

"Still, I should have, um, figured about Quentin..." Kun sighed.

"Things look bleak, but we can work around this," Jean-Marie encouraged. "We just need to figure out a course of action and convince the others to follow it. I trust you can figure out a way to turn the votes in our favor."

"Boy, did you not read the sign?!" Chef's voice roared from across the diner.

Jean-Marie and Kun turned to see Nolan duck underneath an incoming spatula. The gambler fled to the booth where his teammates were eating.

"I guess asking for my eggs to be over-medium counts as complaining about them," Nolan winced.

"I would think you would be the most keen on Chef's reactions to innocuous questions, since you played the season he hosted," Jean-Marie tittered.

"Apparently not." Nolan rubbed the back of his neck.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Nolan:** Last night, the roll of my die ended up determining who went home. And I didn't even have to campaign for it this time. I wasn't hoping to have that kind of sway this early on, because I feel like it's going to make me a bigger target, especially for JM and Kun, whose ally I just got eliminated. I'm still not sure if I want to lay low, or make an effort to turn things against them even further. I'll talk to Cyan or Louise about it.

**Kun:** Or could it even be that, um, Nolan lied about voting for Joseph? No, that doesn't make sense. Him being the fourth vote for Kiki would be too much of a coincidence. Besides, he doesn't, um, gain anything from lying about that. Right?

**Jean-Marie:** I'll admit, I'm unsure as to how I should tackle Joseph's elimination. I feel as though I should seek avenues outside of working with Kun, but I also do not wish to betray him. What can I do to keep myself safe at this point? _C'est une énigme_.

* * *

Vladimir found Irving playing a game at the barcade.

"Enjoying yourself?" Vladimir smiled.

"They've got some good machines here!" Irving beamed. "And here I thought the show was supposed to have a budget problem."

"Maybe they don't know the value of the arcade games they have," Vladimir figured.

"Hey, while I have ye here, methinks we should talk about the future," Irving suggested. "I know ye made your promise to work with Bailey first and foremost, but, as a symbol of trust, I'd like to re-extend her offer to work with me, Brittany, and Hugh. At this point, that'd be a pretty clear majority."

"It's true, we are already down to seven," Vladimir mentioned. "Who would you want to vote out?"

"Well, Bailey says she's got some sort of trust in Shadya, and Hugh says he's got some sort of trust in Steve Jenkins," Irving mentioned. "That just leaves Ernie, by me estimation."

"I actually have some sort of trust in Ernie. And Bailey isn't on this team anymore, so I frankly don't see why she should have any input," Vladimir countered. "Besides, how much of a power play would it be to take out Shadya this early?"

"Ye do have a point there," Irving figured. "Perhaps we ought to talk it over with Brittany and Hugh, first. They be part of the crew, too, ye know."

"That sounds like the most fair way to settle things," Vladimir agreed. "What's important is that we look out for each other. We're both big threats, and big targets because of it. It would behoove us to have each other's backs."

"I can think of worse deals," Irving chuckled. His character died in the arcade game he had been playing. "Blast it. Here, let me buy ye a rum to commemorate our new partnership!"

"I don't drink, but I appreciate the offer," Vladimir declined.

"Alrighty then. Two for me! Gyarharharhar!" Irving guffawed. "Jayne! Two rums, if ye please!"

The robot bartender nodded quietly and began to fix the drinks.

"Is something bothering them?" Vladimir asked.

"Joseph went home last night. From what I hear, they got along well with him," Irving explained.

"I see," Vladimir acknowledged.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Irving:** Oh, to care so deeply about someone ye only met a couple of days ago! Alas, 'tis a pirate's destiny to sail the seven seas with nary a ball and chain to hold him down. I'd be lying if I said I didn't see the appeal of love, but I've got to live me life for me above all else. I wonder if Jayne has that choice. Could be something interesting to talk about with them.

**Vladimir:** I'm still not entirely sure who I'll end up working with going forward. Obviously, Brittany, Hugh, and Irving are all a trio, so if I can nip them in the bud early, that'd be great. The thing is, I also can't say for sure how much I trust Steve Jenkins to stick to one idea, so I'm not sure how in-the-cards that could be. For now, it's best to cover my bases and make sure nobody wants _me_ out.

* * *

Cyan and Louise met up in the former's motel room.

"Alright, I want to talk to you about last night's vote," Cyan told Louise.

"Yeah, it seems like one of JM or Kun voted for Joseph last night," Louise surmised. "Probably Jean-Marie, if we're being honest."

"Oh, Louise," Cyan sighed. "It was me. I voted for Joseph."

"Wait, what?! Why?" Louise reacted, confused. "He told us he would have ditched JM and Kun to work with us if it came down to it, remember?"

"The votes were headed towards him anyway. I didn't want to isolate myself from everyone who seemed happy to vote for him," Cyan explained.

"I guess that makes sense," Louise admitted. "I just wish I had thought to do the same, because now it looks bad on me."

"Sorry," Cyan frowned. "For what it's worth, nobody knows for sure who voted for whom, so we can just play it cool and work things out by ear."

"I guess so," Louise agreed. "...So, what are we going to do now? Because I don't want to just throw JM and Kun under the bus, but sticking by them probably isn't the smartest game move, either."

"I know Kiki was interested in working with me. Although with Bailey here now, I don't know if that still holds true," Cyan thought aloud.

"Do you think we'll be able to talk anyone into flipping?" Louise asked. "I know it's risky, but this way we don't have to betray the people we already trust, and we gain new allies."

"We might be able to talk Nolan into talking to Frita and Quentin," Cyan figured. "Nolan is still supposed to be our ally, and I know he's good with those two."

"I think Quentin and JM are good, so that might actually work," Louise smiled. "...Is JM a threat?"

"Maybe, but right now I think it'd be better to work with a threat if he trusts us," Cyan reasoned. "I think our priority right now should be dealing with the majority that got Joseph out. We should touch base with JM and Kun soon."

"For sure," Louise nodded. "Heh. It was nice to take it easy for the first half-week or so, but the game really is afoot now!"

"This is what we signed up for. Let's make the most of it!" Cyan beamed.

"Hell yeah!" Louise cheered.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Cyan:** I'm glad Louise understood why I voted for Joseph. The hard part is going to be figuring out what exactly we want to do going forward. This is hardly the best position either of us have ever been in, but that's what this game is all about: figuring out how to put yourself in a good position.

**Louise:** I don't think Cyan would have dropped Joseph if she felt like she didn't have to, you know? She kept talking about how much she wanted to work with him. As for our plans for the future, I'm still not a hundred percent on Frita and Quentin, but I think it's worth a shot. I was willing to risk my game on trusting _Gretchen_, and... actually, that cost me the game, but I'm pretty sure Frita and Quentin are different!

* * *

Brittany found Hugh drinking a soda at the team garage hangout.

"I'm surprised to see you aren't at the barcade," Brittany commented. "They have booze and video games there. This place doesn't."

"I mean, duh, I went straight there after we won yesterday," Hugh scoffed. "But for now I need to stop and think about what the hell we're going to do about losing Bailey. Which is harder than I wish it was thanks to this hangover."

"I thought you said you had Steve Jenkins," Brittany pointed out.

"Yeah, but now that we're down a number, he could totally just flip to the others and take out the big scary alliance. I sure as hell would if I were him," Hugh countered.

"Well, that's where you and he might differ," Brittany told him. "I don't know if Steve Jenkins is... the type to flip, if you catch my drift."

"I don't," Hugh responded. "But I don't think we have to worry about him."

"This is the same Steve Jenkins who wanted me gone not two days ago," Brittany added skeptically.

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't trust Vladimir anyway," Hugh dismissed.

"But Bailey and Irving might," Brittany mentioned.

"Shit, that's right," Hugh recalled. "We could just merc Ernie or Shadya then. Both have their cons."

"Shadya was pretty rude to me yesterday, but she is better at challenges, and that's important with how we've been doing in challenges so far," Brittany pondered.

"Oh, believe me, I would love to tear Shadya a new one," Hugh sneered. "But Ernie's made no indication that he even wants to work with me, and I even invited him to early on! Shadya at least pretended to care. I can use that against her. Heheheh."

"Gotcha," Brittany responded flatly. "It sounds like a plan, though. Ernie next time we lose."

"Yeah, that works," Hugh grinned. "Who's going to go up to bat for Ernie, anyway? Dude's a stick in the mud."

"He made it far last time. We shouldn't underestimate him," Brittany warned.

"He got lucky," Hugh dismissed. "You and I? We're players of skill. We can deal with him."

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Hugh:** I still don't know for sure if we can count on Steve Jenkins, but it sounds like Vladimir may still actually be interested in working with us. I still don't have a very good read on him, so I'm going to have to talk to him myself at some point. _(He groans and holds his head.)_ Maybe once the hangover clears up.

**Brittany:** Well, my biggest worry has been quelled; Hugh doesn't seem to want to flip on the alliance. That's good. Let's keep it that way. Now that I'm thinking about it, I am kind of playing with fire in entrusting my safety on this team to... well, the people I trust. But we've all backstabbed someone at least once here, so that's not much of a metric. My goal is to avoid doing that.

* * *

Bailey, Dalit, and Kiki met up in the latter's motel room.

"I'll get to stay at Blaising Tower eventually," Bailey told herself with a resigned chuckle.

"You will. We _will_ turn things around today!" Kiki declared with determination.

"I am agreeing!" Dalit proclaimed with conviction.

"But anyway, I invited you here to officially extend an offer to work with us," Kiki told Bailey. "I chose to use my statue on you because I saw in you the best potential as an ally. The fact that we met years ago helped, too."

"Now, if I'm not mistaken, your alliance includes the two of you as well as Frita and Quentin, correct?" Bailey recalled.

"Quentin is supposed to be a secret, but I guess he told you during the elimination last night," Kiki confirmed.

"Can we trust him if he is to give out secrets like that?" Dalit asked.

"I mean, I think we all knew on some level Bailey was going to work with us," Kiki figured.

"He is making friends with Jean-Marie, and I don't like it," Dalit frowned.

"That is true, but I don't think Jean-Marie's in any position to convince anybody to vote with him," Kiki snickered.

"He still has three allies, if I'm not mistaken. If Nolan rolls in his favor, then just one more vote could tip the scale," Bailey mentioned.

"Is that a threat?" Kiki asked, annoyed.

"It was not intended to be," Bailey denied. "I'm just saying that resting on your laurels after one successful vote seems unwise."

"Look, the only successful vote I've had before now was against _Tucker_. And that hardly counts!" Kiki insisted. "I was worried that Joseph was going to make this season a living hell for me, and I managed to serendipitously get him out anyway."

"I have not ever survived a vote before until now!" Dalit added. "Neither has Frita. This was an important moment for us. You should let us celebrate, because it has worth of celebrating."

"Speaking of Frita, where are Frita and Quentin?" Bailey asked.

"If I had to guess, at the garage hangout," Kiki figured. "They've started playing some video game a whole lot. At least they're making use of the reward, I guess."

"That reminds me. We should use our spa day passes sometime," Dalit told Kiki.

"I'm saving mine for a day when I really need it," Kiki said. "This is hardly the most stressful position I've been in in this game."

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kiki:** Nghhhh, I hadn't even considered the possibility that Bailey could choose to side with the other alliance. Mostly because it wouldn't make any sense for her to. Kun is a bumbling mess, Jean-Marie is untrustworthy, and Cyan and Louise... I think one of them must have voted for Joseph last night, actually. That could be worth looking into.

**Dalit:** I don't know if I like Bailey a lot much, but we need as much people on our side as we can. She helped us vote out Joseph, which means she'll probably help us vote for Jean-Marie next! And then, we can take over the game, until I win at the end!

**Bailey:** I get the feeling like Kiki expects me to side with her automatically because she's the one who brought me over to this team. While I was inclined to do so, this attitude of hers is souring me on the idea. I think I'll speak with the others on this team before making any sort of commitment.

* * *

Steve Jenkins found Shadya running laps around McLean Park and decided to join her in running.

"What's shaking, Shady?" Steve Jenkins greeted.

"My patience. What do you want?" Shadya responded.

"I was just hoping you'd let me pop into what should be my penthouse suite while you're not using it," Steve Jenkins requested. "It seems like a waste to just let it sit there unused when _the_ one and only Steve Jenkins could be making good use of it."

"If you wanted to stay in the penthouse, you should have convinced everyone to vote you as the best through your performance in the challenge," Shadya told him bluntly.

"I was the first one to start solving puzzles! It's not my fault nobody else could see how great I was doing until I started freeing them!" Steve Jenkins pleaded.

"Look, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let you off easy," Shadya told him. "I will not let you in my penthouse, because it is the most privacy and luxury I've been allowed all season, and with that privacy comes a release in stress that will allow me to perform better in challenges."

"See, that's exactly why you should let other people in! If everyone gets some privacy, then we'll all do better in challenges!" Steve Jenkins figured.

"Everyone already has a private room in that tower," Shadya pointed out.

"If all the rooms are the same to you, then why can't I check out the penthouse?" Steve Jenekins frowned.

"They aren't," Shadya stated. "My room has more amenities including but not limited to a fully-stocked fridge, room service, and a bathtub. If I just let anyone enjoy those without earning it, then they'll never feel inclined to work harder to earn it."

"I mean, nobody will ever reach the levels of Steve Jenkins, but that's a neat sentiment, I guess," Steve Jenkins reasoned.

"Obviously nobody can reach the level of the most valuable member of this team, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't still work to attain greatness," Shadya claimed.

"Now that's something I can agree with for sure," Steve Jenkins beamed. "And you know what, it does my heart good to hear you admit that I am, in fact, the most valuable- AHH!"

Steve Jenkins tripped on a rock and fell on his face. Shadya did not stop running.

"I know you're trying to pretend like your heart doesn't burn with passion for me, but it's still rude to not check to see if I'm okay!" Steve Jenkins cried.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Shadya:** Finally winning a challenge has been a load off of my mind. A new load on my mind: Steve Jenkins is so self-satisfied in his own relative mediocrity that he will never try to improve himself. That would make him expendable, if Irving wasn't my target, but he is, so I still need Steve Jenkins' vote. For now.

**Steve Jenkins:** _(He is holding an ice pack to his face.)_ You know what? For all Shady knows, me taking that fall could result in brain damage that could make me _worse_ at the challenge! Bet she didn't think of that when she was trying so hard to protect her pride! Could you imagine Steve Jenkins with brain damage? The world would never recover.

* * *

Frita and Quentin, true to Kiki's guess, were playing the same fighting video game as always in the Fighting Wyverns' garage hangout. Frita had just beaten Quentin.

"...You didn't throw that, did you?" Frita asked.

"No, I'm just not very good with that character," Quentin admitted. "You're definitely picking up on this game, though."

"That's because I'm just sticking to the one character I'm kind of good with. That hardly counts," Frita sighed.

"I think most people do that with this kind of game," Quentin told her. "I still haven't found the one character I'm great with yet, so I'm testing the waters with everyone right now. There are a lot of characters."

"It'd be a lot more interesting to play with different characters, right?" Frita figured.

"It depends on who you are, I guess," Quentin shrugged. "Some people like variety and play for fun, some people like being sure they can win with their one character."

"So it's not fun to just use the same character?" Frita sighed.

"It is for some people. That came out wrong, my bad," Quentin chuckled. "Anyway, what do you make of Bailey being on the team now?"

"Well, she helped us get some momentum by turning things against Joseph," Frita mentioned. "That's good, I think."

"When she asked me what I thought of everything during the vote last night, I told her I didn't really want to vote for Jean-Marie, and that's when she asked Nolan who he voted," Quentin mentioned. "That gesture meant something to me."

"Well, I'm glad one of us is in a good mood today," Frita said genuinely.

"What's up? Anything you want to talk about?" Quentin asked.

"General self-loathing. The usual," Frita mentioned.

"Ah," Quentin responded. "Well hey, if nothing else, you're already doing better in this season than you did last season. That shows growth."

"I did actually survive an elimination, I guess, but how much longer will I be able to get by?" Frita figured.

"Well, we're on a good track with this Joseph elimination," Quentin said.

"Do you still not want to vote for Jean-Marie?" Frita asked.

"I, uh..." Quentin blushed. He returned his attention to the video game. "Here, let's both pick a random character and see what happens."

Frita gave Quentin a bit of a look before returning her attention to the game as well.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Frita:** I always knew Jean-Marie used his charm to his advantage, but now it seems like it might even be working on Quentin. That's kind of concerning, because we still kind of need his vote if we want a safe majority. I still don't know where Bailey's head is at, or Cyan and Louise for that matter. Ugh, this is all going to spiral out of control and end up with me not making the merge again, isn't it? Might as well accept it now.

**Quentin:** Yeah, I might be feeling something for Jean-Marie. I don't want to let it affect my game, but this is the first time I've felt like this about a man, and I don't want to just cut him out before I can figure out what this all means about me. Otherwise, it might bug me for the rest of the game, and I'd get distracted.

* * *

Irving found Hugh still at the garage hangout, splayed on the sofa.

"Avast, Mister Hugh!" Irving greeted.

"Avast what? I'm just taking it easy," Hugh groaned.

"Exactly! We've plans to discuss!" Irving insisted.

"Is that the case?" Hugh forced himself to sit up. "Right, I talked it over with Brittany, and apparently Vladimir is working with us now."

"Aye," Irving confirmed.

"Obviously we can't trust him completely, but an extra ally is worth testing the waters," Hugh continued.

"Aye," Irving confirmed.

"And we're voting for Ernie since he's the only one who's never had any interest in working with us," Hugh continued.

"Aye. ...Hey, wait a minute, that be not aye!" Irving realized.

"How is it not aye?! Who else are we going to vote for?!" Hugh grunted.

"Shadya, o'course!" Irving answered. "She be a huge threat who be out to get us. What will Ernie accomplish against us?"

"Nobody's going to _accomplish_ anything. We've got Vladimir and Steve Jenkins on our side," Hugh claimed. "Even if one of them flips, we still have a majority."

"And if we can't trust either of them?" Irving challenged.

"Then it won't matter who we target in the first place," Hugh pointed out.

"I still don't see how the hell Ernie be a bigger priority than Shadya," Irving mentioned.

"Because Shadya at least pretended like she was interested in working with me. I can use that against her if I have to," Hugh snickered. "Ernie's been against us from day one."

"So has Shadya, if ye haven't noticed!" Irving shouted. "I can't imagine her humoring ye for a second be worth keeping her around over Ernie."

"Look, Brittany was fine with it. She even said that we shouldn't underestimate him," Hugh insisted.

"That'll be for me to discuss with her," Irving told Hugh. "Vladimir trusts Ernie. If we want his vote, and we do, we'll have to vote Shadya."

"Well, Steve Jenkins likes Shadya. Who's to say he'll vote with us if we vote for her?" Hugh glowered.

The two glared at each other briefly before scoffing. Irving took his leave.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Irving:** I can't fathom having an opportunity to take out one of the biggest threats the game's ever known and passing on it. Well, okay, that be untrue, because folks didn't get rid of me until final three last time I played! _(He laughs.)_ But still, refusing to drop Shadya now means she'll be a huge pain in the keister down the line. Surely Hugh has to realize that.

**Hugh:** Listen, I take orders from nobody. If I think there's even a remote chance that Shadya might stick with us at the merge, I'm going to keep her over Ernie. Yeah, she's a threat, but newsflash, so is everyone on this team! That's why we're _here_, artard!

* * *

Cyan found Nolan playing tarot solitaire at one of the tables in front of the motel.

"Move that blue one onto the other blue one!" Cyan instructed excitedly.

"That's not how this works, but I appreciate the enthusiasm," Nolan chuckled. "Are you interested in learning how to play?"

"Maybe later. Right now, I want to have some game talk," Cyan told him.

"I'm interested in what you might have in mind for me specifically," Nolan smiled as he took his die out of his pocket and began rolling it between his fingers.

"Joseph leaving means one of my closer allies left," Cyan mentioned. "That puts me in a worse position, which I don't want to be in."

"Nor do I want you to be in it," Nolan agreed. "Sorry that it ended up being Joseph, by the way. He was hardly the first person I would have chosen normally."

"I believe that, but that doesn't mean he wasn't still chosen," Cyan frowned. "Anyway, my point is, I want to expand my reach on this team, and I was hoping you'd put in a good word for me with Frita and Quentin before I talk to them myself."

"Frita and Quentin, huh? I do get along well with those two, or at least with Quentin," Nolan nodded. "I'll be glad to help you out."

"Thanks!" Cyan beamed. "...So wait, why can't you move the blue one onto the other blue one?"

"Those are both cups," Nolan explained. "It's like how in normal solitaire, you have to put black on red, or red on black. Cups are the tarot deck equivalent of hearts in a playing card deck."

"That does make sense in a common logic kind of way," Cyan figured. "But by my logic, you always want as much blue as possible everywhere always. So I still think you're playing it wrong."

"Well, if you ever want to borrow any of my decks, you can play solitaire however you want," Nolan chuckled.

"I just might," Cyan winked. "So wait, why are you messing with tarot cards and not just using a normal deck if it's only solitaire?"

"For one, they look cooler," Nolan chuckled. "And for two, there's an extra clause where you can use a major arcanum as a wild card, but only when you put it on a minor arcanum."

"So it's easier?" Cyan asked.

"Sit down if you like and I'll explain everything. I have all day," Nolan offered.

"I don't normally go for any of this fortune telling stuff, but I trust you," Cyan said warily as she took a seat.

"Believe me, I'm not one for fortune telling either," Nolan assured her. "I don't even believe that luck is anything but our own perception of what that which is beyond our control grants us or not. I certainly don't believe in destiny."

"Interesting," Cyan nodded.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Cyan:** I remember Frita joined with Kiki at the start of the game because Kiki was more assertive than I am. I don't know if that's a tactic I really want to try with Frita, but it gives me confidence that it's possible to sway her. And I've never been sure about Quentin, so anything could happen with him, too. I'm glad I connected with Nolan early. Although I'm still not sure about all this tarot stuff. That just seems like something I shouldn't be messing with. _(She shudders.)_

**Nolan:** Well, I'm glad Cyan isn't upset with me for being the catalyst for Joseph's elimination. That was my biggest worry about that whole thing, because she and Louise are the people I trust the most to keep me safe. If she wants to start working with Frita and Quentin, it could be nice to have everyone who wants to keep me around working together. Although I wonder if they'll end up not needing me once they have each other. Maybe I'll flip a coin on it. _(He chuckles.)_

* * *

Vladimir looked to be working on some kind of mask in his room when he heard a knock on his door. He quickly packed up his supplies and went to answer. Brittany was on the other side.

"Ah, Brittany," Vladimir smiled.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Brittany asked.

"Yes, come in," Vladimir offered.

"Come in?" Brittany wondered quietly. Regardless, she followed the master of disguise into his room.

"Make yourself comfortable," Vladimir told her with sincerity in his voice. "It's been a while since we've really been able to _talk_ talk, you know?"

"Well, I mean, have we ever?" Brittany asked. "We were on different teams at the start of Explore Party, threw each other under the bus once the merge hit, and then as far as I know you didn't stay in contact with anyone after the season, much less me."

"What happened in Explore Party was just circumstance," Vladimir said. "It's a new season, and we're on the same team from the start. Each of us ran our original teams, and I think we could do so together pretty handily, especially with your allies already on board."

"What's your ideal plan going into a potential elimination?" Brittany asked. "Have you spoken it over with any of the others?"

"Actually, Irving and I were torn between Shadya or Ernie," Vladimir mentioned. "We agreed to talk to you, Brittany, as well as Hugh about it."

"Hugh seems set on voting for Ernie. I'm not really against that idea," Brittany said. "Ernie's made no indication that he has any interest in working with me."

"I see," Vladimir acknowledged. "If that's where you two are leaning, then it sounds like a plan."

Brittany looked at him skeptically. "And you're 100% good with that plan?"

"I'm good with whatever plan will benefit my game the most," Vladimir told her. "And joining a strong alliance like yours certainly isn't my worst option."

"I see," Brittany commented.

"I understand your reluctance to trust me," Vladimir told her. "It's smart to do so, quite frankly. But you have to look at who else is on this team. Huge egos who are all going to want their way. I can't rely on them to work together. I know I can rely on you and the other two, though."

"Hugh and Irving are pretty big egos, too," Brittany pointed out.

"But they're reliable, consistent big egos," Vladimir explained. "And besides, at the risk of sounding like I'm flattering you, you're reliable without being a big ego. I admire that."

"Mm. So you're good with Ernie being the vote, is what's important," Brittany made sure.

"I am," Vladimir told her.

"That's all I needed to know," Brittany said. "Good talk."

"Good talk," Vladimir agreed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** I don't know, nothing he's saying sounds necessarily illogical or wrong, but I can't help but think of him as the guy from last season who threw his ally under the bus and tried to play both sides and... Oh my god, that all pretty much applies to me, too. Maybe I should give him the benefit of the doubt. People are giving it to me, after all.

**Vladimir:** Ernie is the last person I want to vote for. He's the person I trust the most on this team, and I'll be damned if I let this big annoying alliance get rid of him. I'll need to rally the other three against a common target. All while keeping good with the threesome in power. It's very doable. I just need to get the big egos on the same page.

* * *

Bailey met up with Kun at McLean Park.

"I, um, appreciate you taking the time to speak with me," Kun began.

"I hope you understand that last night's vote was not personal," Bailey told him. "I was placed into a new situation with little time to figure anything out, so I felt it most prudent to see where the majority was. Seeing if Nolan had voted for a potential target was the easiest way of doing that."

"I understand," Kun nodded.

"I also hope you understand that I have not made any commitments to anyone on this team as of yet," Bailey continued. "I wish to keep an open mind and get a feel for everyone first."

"I-I see!" Kun realized what Bailey was getting at. "Well, um, to be quite frank, I feel as though my alliance simply includes smarter players. I can't speak ill of Kiki's intelligence, but, well, Dalit and Frita aren't the most game-savvy people I've ever met. Louise isn't the strategic type either, but Cyan and Jean-Marie are, um, notably bright."

"Where do you think Quentin's head is?" Bailey asked.

"Jean-Marie thinks he's working with Kiki," Kun mentioned. "I'm starting to suspect he's onto something, there. That's, um, my fault, I should have talked to him more."

"Well, he expressed disinterest in voting for Kiki's primary target last night. That may be worth something," Bailey mentioned. "It may not be too late."

"That's true..." Kun realized. "Thanks, Bailey! I appreciate the advice."

"I'm just doing what I can," Bailey smiled.

"_Bonne après-midi_," Jean-Marie greeted the two as he approached them. "I hope I'm not interrupting a tender moment."

"I don't think there's, um, room for tender moments in this game," Kun mentioned.

"Well, I'm not sure that's necessarily true," Bailey said. "I met my boyfriend of six years on this show."

"Indeed, think of all the couples who have met on this show," Jean-Marie said. "How many of them are still together, I wonder?"

"I, um, haven't followed too closely, I'm afraid," Kun admitted. "My priorities are mostly in studying up to rise in the ranks of my father's business."

"I'm surprised you haven't kept up," Bailey told Jean-Marie.

"...Alas, I have not been able to. I will leave it at that," Jean-Marie told her. "All that aside, may I invite myself into your prior conversation?"

"We were sharing an uncertainty in where Quentin's head may be at," Bailey explained.

"He is an enigma, but one with whom I get along," Jean-Marie claimed. "If there is any reason to believe he may be willing to work with us, I would be more than happy to speak with him."

"That'd be helpful," Kun approved. "We can use, um, all the help we can get."

"And we can count Bailey amongst those who can, it seems?" Jean-Marie inquired.

"There's a real possibility," Kun said.

He smiled at Bailey, who awkwardly smiled back.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kun:** Now that I've, um, calmed down a bit after the initial shock of it all, I think I'm ready to do what it takes to recover from the loss. Bailey and Quentin could be valuable allies. All I need to do is make them want to work for us. With Bailey, um, I appealed to her appreciation for smart gameplay by highlighting the difference between my allies and Kiki's. I truly believe that my alliance will serve her better.

**Jean-Marie:** I've been considering for a while the prospect of convincing Quentin to work with me rather than Kiki. I was hoping to leave Kun out of it, because I do not wish to play Kun's game, I wish to play my own, but at this point, he must control even this. _C'est la vie_. I can work with this.

**Bailey:** Truth be told, I don't really want to make any hard commitments to anyone on this team, because I've already made so many promises to those on the Grand Gryphons, and I don't want to make more promises than I can feasibly keep if I can make it to the merge. That said, I will need allies on this team if I'm going to be staying here. For now, I'll sit comfortably in a position where everyone wants me on their side too much to consider voting me out. _(She smiles.)_

* * *

Shadya stood on the balcony of her penthouse room, looking over the city. She proudly took a sip of tea.

"Finally, you're where you belong in this game," Shadya smiled to herself. "Back in the winner's seat. This season started rough, but you've recovered from worse. You _are_ human perfection. Don't ever forget that. You can't forget that."

Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door. Shadya cracked her neck and went to go see who was on the other side. Opening the door revealed Greg standing in wait.

"Hello. I am here to deliver the pineapple you requested," Greg informed her as he held a watermelon up for her to see.

"Come in," Shadya instructed him as she retreated back into her room, leaving the door open.

The room service employee made his way into the penthouse, placing the watermelon on the kitchen table.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Shadya?" Greg inquired.

"...If I wish to speak to you, can you swear yourself to confidentiality?" Shadya asked.

"It's my duty to do whatever is asked of me by whoever's staying in the penthouse," Greg told her. "If you wish, I can forget entirely what you tell me."

"Don't do that," Shadya instructed him.

"Understood," Greg complied.

"And for goodness' sake, you aren't my servant, you don't need to talk like one," Shadya grunted.

"I apologize. I am communicating to the best of my ability," Greg told her.

"Ugh, how lazy did the Wakemans get?" Shadya mumbled. "Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. I presume you know at least a little bit about me and my accomplishments by now?"

"I was intentionally not given any memories of anybody here," Greg explained. "Ginger and Godfrey wanted the freshest, most unbiased possible outlook."

"I guess that's understandable," Shadya conceded. She cleared her throat. "A true monarch fears no hardship. She declares that she will overcome anything without fail. Even if she hasn't yet figured out how. This gives hope to the weak. They gather, revere the monarch, and swear to assist her. This is where power is gained and her word is carried out."

"I see," Greg acknowledged. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"I was building up to something," Shadya growled. "I am one of the most accomplished human beings on the planet, and have brought that strength to this game by taking a leadership position on my team, both times I've played. Last time, it worked with little issue, and only lost because my closest ally was tricked into turning on me. But this time, nobody seems to want to listen, and we keep losing challenges. It's _infuriating_. Even if you don't have the capacity to answer, it's something I felt I needed to talk to someone about so the thoughts don't stay trapped in my mind."

"I see," Greg acknowledged. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Shadya sighed. "No."

Greg nodded. "If you do end up needing anything, let me know." He took his leave.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Shadya:** Geez, he's even more of an emotional brick wall than Ginger was. I don't know if he was explicitly designed just to do work, or if those spare parts used to build him really were just spare parts, or anything about him, really, but he genuinely doesn't seem to care about anything but getting his job done. I'm almost envious.

* * *

Kiki found Louise wandering around through the city.

"Oh, Louise!" Kiki called as she ran up to her teammate.

"Hm? What's up?" Louise asked.

"You were on good terms with Joseph, right?" Kiki asked.

"Yeah?" Louise confirmed, seemingly annoyed.

"I just wanted to know if you voted against him. The numbers seemed inconsistent," Kiki requested.

"No, I didn't," Louise told her shortly. "And... look, I'm not _not_ open to talking with you, but right now I'm not really in the mood."

"Well, let me know. I don't want us to be enemies, Louise," Kiki told her.

"Is there anything we _can_ do that would be good for both of us?" Louise asked.

"Pick off Kun and Jean-Marie," Kiki answered. "Kun's told me to my face that he has no interest in working with me, and I'm worried that Jean-Marie may be trying to turn my allies against me."

"Those things only have to do with you," Louise frowned.

"Those were just examples! Who's to say they won't try to screw you over, too?" Kiki insisted.

"They haven't been," Louise shrugged. "Plus, you and your allies haven't really reached out to me until now. Actions speak louder than words."

"I reached out to you on day one and you said you weren't interested," Kiki denied.

"And I'm still not. Sorry," Louise told her.

The coach jogged off ahead. As Kiki simmered, Frita approached her.

"How did it go?" Frita asked.

"Why can't I get through to Cyan and Louise?!" Kiki cried.

"Is it your personality or interests? That's usually what it is for me," Frita mentioned.

"Don't put me on the same level as you!" Kiki snapped.

Frita couldn't keep the tears in. She turned around and ran, crying.

"Frita, wait! That came out wrong, I didn't mean-! Ugh..." Kiki groaned to herself as the artist left earshot.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kiki:** I just don't get what I'm doing wrong. I've changed my approach from House Party significantly, and I still can't get people to listen to me. I've even approached men in this game with the intent to work with them! ...I know I have a tendency to think less of people than I do of myself, but it's hard not to when people refuse to listen to me. Why won't people listen to me?

**Louise:** I just don't have any interest in working with Kiki. She clearly only wants to work together because it would benefit her, not because she thinks I'm cool or even because it would benefit us both. How did she expect me to react to that?

**Frita:** _(Her face is red and stained with tears.)_ ... ... ...Why do I even bother?

* * *

Steve Jenkins sauntered into the barcade and made his way to the bar.

"One Steve Jenkins, on the rocks, please," he requested of Jayne.

Jayne filled a cup with ice and poured it over Steve Jenkins' head, getting his hair and face wet.

"...I understand the confusion, but that is not what I meant!" Steve Jenkins reacted as he fluffed his hair back. "A Steve Jenkins is vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice."

"My database identifies that as a Moscow Mule," Jayne informed him.

"Yeah, but what's Moscow ever done for anyone? I'm claiming the drink back in the name of Steve Jenkins!" Steve Jenkins declared.

"I apologize," Jayne said, upset.

"Are you alright?" Steve Jenkins asked.

"I was told that my friend Joseph was voted out of the game last night," Jayne explained. "For some reason, logic dictates that I now feel upset, and now I do."

"What do you mean, 'for some reason'? If he was your friend, you're going to miss him," Steve Jenkins told them.

"His life was not terminated, so I have not irreplaceably lost anything," Jayne figured. "It is likely that I will see him again in the future. What reason do I have to feel upset?"

"Because you like his company and want more of it? I don't know, fam," Steve Jenkins attempted. "Emotions aren't supposed to be logical. The unrelenting desire to be like Steve Jenkins just... _happens_."

"I also don't understand that, so perhaps you may be onto something," Jayne thought aloud. "Maybe I just can't comprehend how emotions work."

"You don't really need to. Just live your life," Steve Jenkins grinned. "And while you're at it, one Steve Jenkins on the rocks, please."

Jayne remained in thought for a second before getting another cup of ice and pouring it over Steve Jenkins.

"...I'm not going to call it by its old name. You won't make me!" Steve Jenkins swore.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Steve Jenkins:** Man, all these years of technological advancement, and they _still_ can't get robots to do something as basic as worship Steve Jenkins as the one true god. I told Ginger to do something about that back in the Shuffle Party days, man! What's the holdup?!

* * *

Dalit and Quentin had eaten lunch with each other at Hatchet's Diner.

"So, you're still together with Ephraim after all these years. That's so cool," Quentin smiled.

"Yes, although we still have not moved in to the same living place," Dalit mentioned. "I still live with my adoptive family, although I can still see Ephraim often."

"How's he doing? And Bijou, for that matter?" Quentin inquired.

"Ephraim now works at an Amazon warehouse. It is hard work, but he is making money. I am hoping he can afford to buy an engagement ring soon," Dalit recounted. "Bijou started her own clothing line, Onyx. I'm sure you've heard of it; I model her clothes a lot. Fauna mentioned it on her YouTube channel."

"It sounds familiar. I haven't kept in super close contact with Ephraim or Bijou or Fauna," Quentin admitted.

"Have you talked to Tori recently?" Dalit asked.

"...No," Quentin admitted. "...Have you?"

"I don't think I've talked to Tori ever," Dalit said.

"I do keep in contact with Vardaman, Naomi, Kelsey, Lester, Stormy~, and Xingrong," Quentin listed. "Vardaman will talk about Isidora every now and again because he's her brother-in-law, but I haven't spoken to her in a while."

"Isidora always seemed lazy. I'm not surprised she didn't last long this season," Dalit criticized.

"She's cool. I was never close with her, but we got along when we did talk," Quentin recounted. "Do you think Hugh will last?"

"I would be surprised. He is not easy to get along with, especially when he is not respecting to women," Dalit answered.

"On a team full of strong players? I can see him not doing as well," Quentin agreed. "Then again, he's lasted two eliminations already."

"One of those was Lilith," Dalit dismissed.

"I can't really speak about Lilith. I never really knew her," Quentin said. "But it's cool that we can talk about the old times, you know? I kind of miss those days sometimes."

"I don't," Dalit said. "My life is better now. I don't need to think about the past."

"I guess that's fair in your case," Quentin conceded. "Actually, I think you were the first person I talked to, before the game started. We were talking about seagulls, if I remember right. Now look where we are."

"I still don't care about birds," Dalit told him.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Dalit:** Quentin is not the worst ally I've ever had. I don't think anyone will pass Genesis with that. But he is for certainty too optimistic. His intentions are good, but I don't think he's ever had any real hardship. He does not know how it is the world works, and that is annoying me.

**Quentin:** I get the feeling Dalit doesn't really care much for me, so I've been trying to reconcile with her and see if I can get her to be more friendly with me, especially after that fight we had yesterday. I still can't tell if it's working, but I'll keep at it until I know it does!

* * *

Over in Isolation Park, Ernie had finally awoken.

"Unnnngh," Ernie groaned as he stood up and cracked his back. "Is it time for the challenge yet?"

He stood there for a few seconds. He let out a fat yawn.

"I guess I should look for hidden statues or something," Ernie figured. He trudged his way off in no direction in particular.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Ernie:** As the, like, first person on my team to go to Isolation Park, I have a rare opportunity to be the only one on the team with a statue. As much as I'd love to just take advantage of the opportunity to, ya know, sleep until the challenge, I've got to... Igotta... _(He yawns.)_ ... ...I already forgot what I was talking about.

* * *

The sixteen unexiled contestants met up at McLean Park with Chris, Topher, and Lindsay.

"Now bringing back Ernie from Isolation Park," Chris began as he gestured towards the law student making his way back to his team.

"Good news, guys, I found three statues," Ernie told everyone monotonously.

"What?! Lucky!" Steve Jenkins pouted.

"We've got a fun one for you guys today!" Topher announced. "Our very own Chef Hatchet will be co-hosting this one!"

"If that's the case, then who's making dinner?" Louise asked.

"Topher and Lindsay are!" Chris laughed. "Alongside the people who sit out of this challenge!"

"Wait, we are?" Lindsay blinked.

"Yep! Have fun!" Chris laughed.

"Do we have to sit people out, um, right now?" Kun asked.

"No, we'll get that all sorted out once we arrive on-location and explain what the challenge is," Chris established.

"Can you cook?" Lindsay whispered to Topher.

"How hard can it be?" Topher asked confidently.

"All that said, let's head on over... to Victory Bank!" Chris decided.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Louise:** I'm not sure why they don't get Greg to cook for us. Maybe they don't trust him to make food if he can't taste or smell. Either way, I'm definitely playing in this one, so I'm excited to see what we've got in store with Chef involved! Something tough, I bet!

**Vladimir:** I wasn't aware this city had a bank. I can't imagine what it'd be used for. I guess it's being used for the challenge, but that seems like so little to dedicate a building to.

* * *

The group arrived at Victory Bank, a large, important-looking building. Chef stood in front of the building, dressed in his drill sergeant outfit.

"Alright, maggots! Attention!" Chef demanded. "Today's challenge will be a game of cops and robbers!"

"Straight to the point as always," Nolan commented.

"The Grand Gryphons will be the robbers, and the Fighting Wyverns will be the cops!" Chef continued. "It's up to the Fighting Wyverns to make sure that the Grand Gryphons can't steal the cases full of money that're in the bank vault! It's up to the Grand Gryphons to take that money before time runs out!"

"What's the time limit?" Shadya asked.

"However the hell long I feel like! Does that answer your question?!" Chef snapped.

"Technically yes, but not in a satisfactory way," Shadya responded. "I demand a more specific answer. It could mean the difference between victory and defeat."

"You ain't gettin' shit! Back-talk me again, and I'll give the win to the Wyverns!" Chef shouted.

"He can't do that! ...Right?" Hugh asked Chris.

"Want to test him and find out?" Chris snickered.

"You're not just going to let Chef get away with that, are you?" Nolan prodded Hugh.

"Please, um, don't provoke the other team," Kun requested.

"Yeah, stay in your lane, pre-merger," Hugh scowled at Nolan.

"Attention!" Chef barked. "The Wyverns will have twenty minutes to prepare their line of defense before the Gryphons can try to get the loot!"

"So they have a fixed time limit, mm?" Irving pointed out.

"This lack of preparation is about what I'd expect from him," Ernie whispered.

"Alright, who's sitting out of the challenge?" Chef asked. "Can't be Jean-Marie, Louise, or Quentin."

The Fighting Wyverns discussed this amongst themselves quietly for a minute or so.

"Bailey, Frita, and Nolan," Kiki answered. "Also, is this for Invincibility or reward?"

"You'll just have to find out after the challenge is over! How's that for motivation?" Chef half-answered.

"Those of you not participating in the challenge, follow us to the diner!" Topher coaxed.

"Cooking's fun!" Lindsay encouraged.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Jean-Marie:** Win or lose, at least I have a lovely meal to look forward to. Of course, I'd very much like to win, even if this is likely just a reward challenge. Though I have to wonder why they chose Chef to lead a challenge if they knew he was going to be this difficult. ...Maybe that _is_ why they chose him.

**Ernie:** So all we have to do is, like, successfully steal some cases full of money? Shouldn't be too hard. I'm pretty sure that our team could, on average, kick the other team's ass. _(He yawns.)_ Then again, Isolation Park sucked ass. I'm not really in the mood to go back, ya know?

* * *

The competing members of the Fighting Wyverns met up in a room within the bank's vault. Surrounding them were prop gold ingots, as well as several tools and items that might help them defend the briefcases in the center of the room.

"Alright, we need a game plan, here," Louise told her team.

"Agreed," Kun nodded. "Our goal is, um, simple, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't develop and enact concrete plans to carry that goal out."

"Okay, what's your plan?" Kiki challenged.

"I, um, don't have one yet, but if we put our heads together, I know we can figure something out," Kun smiled nervously.

"Well, what are all the tools we have here?" Cyan asked as she inspected a small machine with a switch on it.

She flipped the switch, and a laser tripwire shot out of the machine.

"You think we can set those up so that tripping it will trigger traps or lock doors or something?" Quentin wondered excitedly.

"That sounds like fun!" Dalit beamed. "We will be their defeat!"

"That's a good idea, you guys," Kun complimented. "Let's, um, see if we can find any traps or anything else that might, um, pertain to that."

"Is there anything else we can do besides tripwires and traps?" Jean-Marie considered.

"Beat them up?" Dalit suggested.

"That might be difficult considering we're up against the likes of Shadya and Irving," Cyan doubted. "Steve Jenkins and Barry are no slouches, either."

"We don't need violence to stall them out," Kiki put in. She looked at the prop ingots surrounding everyone. "How heavy are these ingots?"

"Ooh, we can totally block doors with stacks of these!" Louise chorused.

"Exactly," Kiki confirmed. She picked up an ingot. "These feel like iron. They're perfect."

"We can throw them at the other team!" Dalit insisted.

"We're not killing anybody!" Kiki exasperated.

"It won't kill them if it doesn't hit on the head," Dalit huffed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kiki:** The pattern of how challenges have gone so far dictates that this challenge is for reward. Still, we can't rely solely on patterns. Establishing patterns only to break them is exactly the kind of thing this show would do. So I'm going to do whatever it takes to win, because if Invincibility is on the line, then things can still go horribly wrong.

* * *

The Grand Gryphons remained outside the bank to discuss their own plan of action.

"To begin with, we should get a good understanding of the bank's exterior," Shadya told her team. "They'll be expecting us to come in through the front door. If we can enter through unconventional means, that could be a huge advantage for us."

"How much time will that take?" Ernie asked.

"We are on a strict time limit before we can start raiding the place," Brittany backed up.

"Well, we won't get any closer to getting it done by standing around and talking," Shadya decided. "Steve Jenkins, Vladimir, you two join me in circling the building and looking for any alternative entrances. Everyone else, discuss who you want to serve as your buddy for the challenge."

"Buddy?" Hugh scoffed.

"Yes, we will split up into pairs," Shadya told them. "I will be working alone, as I have the skill to do two people's work. Any arguments?"

"Can we pick our buddies before looking around the building?" Steve Jenkins asked.

"Ugh, fine, but don't waste any more time than you have to," Shadya relented.

"I pick Hugh," Steve Jenkins grinned.

"And I'd like to work with Ernie," Vladimir offered.

"Sure," "Fine by me," Ernie and Hugh responded in unison.

"Aw, why do I have to be saddled with Brittany?" Irving jokingly complained.

"Truly a martyr unto us all," Ernie deadpanned.

"Alright, now that that's established. Steve Jenkins. Vladimir. With me." Shadya snapped her fingers to direct attention back to her.

"Right. We need to focus on winning," Vladimir complied.

"Winning does suit the Steve W. Jenkins lifestyle," Steve Jenkins agreed.

The three began their jog around the bank.

"I guess the buddy system isn't that important if we're just being left here," Hugh remarked to Ernie.

"Honestly, with Shadya, you just need to, like, not question her too much and things'll be fine," Ernie yawned.

"Did you get any sleep in Isolation Park?" Brittany asked, concerned.

"No more or less than usual," Ernie answered.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** Kiki playing the Dunstan Statue yesterday makes the theory that there are statues in Isolation Park a lot more plausible. So it's very possible Ernie has one now. The Dunstan Statue also proves that not all of them are necessarily free Invincibility, so that's another layer of uncertainty. I really hope we win this one.

* * *

"Alright, maggots! Twenty minutes are up, and the challenge has started! Don't screw up!" Chef shouted through a bullhorn. The sound was loud enough to reach the Fighting Wyverns within the building.

"Well, I guess it's time for action," Quentin chuckled.

"Right, um, Cyan, Jean-Marie, Louise, you know what to do," Kun prompted.

"Hell yeah!" Louise complied.

The three aforementioned ran towards the front of the building.

"Can all three of us really stall their entire team?" Cyan worried.

"We shouldn't have to. If we can hold up even three of the other team, that's half of them," Jean-Marie explained.

"And having half of their team unable to act will be a huge advantage for us!" Louise whooped.

"But half of our team will also pretty much be out of play, keeping the people from the other team out of play," Cyan pointed out.

"Er, let's just stick with the plan. We don't have time to come up with another one," Louise suggested awkwardly.

"We must do whatever we can to ensure that we do not fail in our duties," Jean-Marie said determinedly. "Have faith in our other teammates."

...

"The Gryphons sure are taking a while to come in," Cyan noted.

"Yeah, I'm kind of concerned about that, too," Louise agreed.

"We all heard Chef correctly, _oui_?" Jean-Marie made sure.

"'Twenty minutes are up and the challenge has started,' I'm sure of it," Cyan recalled.

"You guys don't think they found another entrance, do you?" Louise supposed.

"It would explain why they haven't gone through this one," Cyan tsked.

"Alright then! We need to find them! JM, you head that way! Cyan, you head that way! I'll stay here just in case they do come through this door," Louise decided.

"Oh, uh, yes Coach!" Cyan complied before running in the indicated direction.

Jean-Marie nodded and ran in his own specified direction.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Louise:** Even when your opponents hit you with a move you never saw coming, you need to be able to roll with the punches and work around it. That's true of any competition. Sports, challenges, even Total Drama itself! It's never over until it's over!

* * *

The Grand Gryphons, one at a time, squeezed out of an air vent off in a hallway within the bank.

"We really lucked out finding a vent that's actually able to fit all of us," Vladimir smiled. "I didn't think those actually existed."

"Says the actual, real-life master of disguise," Hugh grunted.

"They probably designed the building that way intentionally," Brittany figured.

"With all that out of the way, split up," Shadya ordered. "And be sure to remember your way back to the vent."

The other Grand Gryphons voiced their compliance, and split up as they'd previously determined.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the central room, Dalit, Kiki, Kun, and Quentin watched a series of security camera monitors.

"Looks like they were able to sneak around the guys we sent to the front," Quentin noted.

"Yeah, but it also looks like they figured that out," Kiki mentioned. "I trust those three."

"Should we start doing traps?" Dalit asked.

"Well, as it happens, they're splitting into four groups. That, um, means we can each focus on one pair," Kun thought aloud. "Dalit, focus on Hugh and Steve Jenkins. Kiki, focus on Barry and Ernie. Quentin, focus on Brittany and Irving. I'll focus on, um, Shadya."

"Whatever works, I guess," Kiki remarked. "How do these traps work again?"

"Like this," Dalit grinned as she pressed a button.

* * *

Back in the halls of the bank, Hugh and Steve Jenkins explored the area, looking around for more vents.

"What the hell are you talking about? If you turn the A/C up, it gets colder, that's its _job_!" Hugh exasperated.

"No, if you turn it up, the temperature goes up. That's how temperature works!" Steve Jenkins argued.

"You aren't turning the temperature up, you're turning the function of the machine up!" Hugh retaliated.

"That's just... not true! And I should know, I'm Steve Jenkins!" Steve Jenkins claimed. "Have you ever seen an A/C unit before?"

"Have _you_?!" Hugh shouted.

Their argument was cut short when one of the walls in front of them shot forward and into the wall parallel to it.

"What the shit?!" Hugh gasped.

"I think the bank's trying to crush us to death," Steve Jenkins figured.

"Well yeah, but how can you say that so casually?" Hugh asked.

"I've been the subject of many people's crushes. This isn't new to me," Steve Jenkins boasted.

"I... I'm not even going to try and make sense of that," Hugh decided. "What we need to do is figure out how to get past what's clearly some traps set up by the other team."

* * *

**Confessional: **

**Hugh:** The damn Wyverns have a pretty big advantage, getting to sit comfy in some room while the bank tries to fucking kill us! Ugh, it pisses me off so much that it just makes me want to beat them even more! Joke's on them!

* * *

Bailey, Frita, Nolan, Topher, and Lindsay had arrived at Hatchet's Diner and into the kitchen.

"Man, I can't believe I, the co-host of the greatest show in the world, have been relegated to kitchen duty," Topher griped.

"You don't like cooking?" Lindsay asked. "I think it's fun!"

"What's fun about a situation where anything can go wrong and the end result could poison someone?" Frita asked.

"Well, nothing's going to sound fun if you try and make it sound unfun on purpose!" Lindsay pouted.

"Alright, let's just find the prime rib and get started," Topher decided.

"Whose kitchen do you think this is?" Nolan laughed.

"The ingredients here seem..." Bailey couldn't think of a complimentary adjective as she looked in the fridge.

"We've been eating food from this kitchen all season with no issue. Besides, I can definitely figure something out," Nolan said with a twinkle in his eye.

"What can we possibly do?" Frita asked.

"I'm hurt that nobody remembers," Nolan said, sounding more smug than hurt. "Lest we all forget... the Gallagher family world-famous fish and chips!"

"I don't think I've even heard of that," Bailey admitted.

"Oh come on, it won Team Flame the cooking challenge back in the day," Nolan complained.

"Fish and chips does sound really good, though," Lindsay smiled.

"Can we even trust any kind of fish that Chef might have stored here?" Topher doubted as he took a frozen, unskinned jackalope out of the freezer.

"I think it'd be best if we forget how the sausage is made and just make it," Bailey figured.

"Wait, are we making fish, or sausage?" Lindsay asked, confused.

"This is going to be a disaster," Frita sighed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Nolan:** Sure, Chef's kitchen might be a bit more dubious than Yolonda's, but I've done well with worse. Okay, maybe not worse, but with less. Cooking isn't too dissimilar from playing games: you just need to know how to make the most out of what materials you have.

* * *

Brittany and Irving took notice of a small marquee attached to the ceiling, which displayed a timer counting down. There were about 17 minutes left on the timer.

"I guess that's how long we have to win this. No pressure," Brittany chuckled.

"There be no time limit the Dread Pirate Irving can't overcome!" Irving declared.

"Name every element on the periodic table. You have two seconds," Brittany smirked.

"Th-They all be named George!" Irving answered.

"You know what? Fair enough," Brittany laughed.

"At any rate, where do ye reckon we actually have to go?" Irving wondered. "We just kind of split up with no real direction."

"It's hard to have direction when we don't know the layout of this place," Brittany agreed. "We'll just have to figure it out, I guess. That's the challenge more than anything, I feel."

Not one second after Brittany said that, a laser shot just in front of the pair.

"What the?!" Brittany gasped.

The two looked up to see several small, dome-like machines jutting out of the ceiling, which continued to fire lasers.

"Aw come on, the others get to do that?" Cyan asked as she rounded the nearby corner. "Oh, hey! Enjoying the lasers?"

"Can't say I have a strong opinion one way or the other," Irving shrugged.

"What are you doing here? Trying to stop us?" Brittany guessed.

"I can't be sure she be able to stop me. She never could before," Irving sneered smugly.

"Oh, you want to start?" Cyan grunted as she angrily approached the two.

* * *

Meanwhile, Quentin glanced at the monitor displaying the scene.

"What's Cyan doing?" Quentin asked.

"The people at the front split up," Kun mentioned. "I guess they figured out that the Gryphons weren't, um, coming in through the front door."

"What are they supposed to do, though? They'll either be outnumbered or against Shadya," Kiki pointed out.

"Well, without a way to communicate with them, we'll just need to have faith in them," Kun resigned.

"I could not have faith in Jean-Marie if I was dying and he had the cure," Dalit doubted.

"So, should I keep focusing on the lasers, or...?" Quentin asked.

"If you think Cyan alone won't be able to hold them off," Kun instructed.

"I, uh, I mean, she's, uh..." Quentin stammered.

"Just do the lasers!" Dalit told him.

"Okay!" Quentin decided, pressing buttons quickly to fire the lasers at the three in the hall.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Irving:** Oh, I've been looking forward to getting to mess with Cyan again. Taking her out in Virtual Party still be one of me proudest moments to this day, and I be chomping at the bit to see how I can follow that up. But first: I've got to re-establish our rivalry. Thankfully, she be easy for me to mess with. Maybe she fancies me. Gyarharhar!

* * *

"So, did I, like, miss anything while I was gone?" Ernie asked Vladimir as the two speed-walked through another area of the bank. The timer indicated roughly 10 minutes left.

"Well, the obvious trio are trying to rope me in to vote you out," Vladimir explained. "I'm humoring them, but I don't plan on actually siding with them. You're the person I trust the most in this game."

"I don't think I've heard a more suspicious sentence in my life," Ernie said half-jokingly.

"I'm flattered that you don't trust me even when I'm being genuine," Vladimir chuckled. "But no, I'm not going to be the fifth wheel for an alliance that doesn't even have the decency to pretend to not be working together."

"Bailey getting moved to the other team is a huge opportunity for us that we can't let go to waste," Ernie nodded. "Shadya's deadset on losing Irving, which, honestly, fine with me. He's annoying."

"Speak of the devil," Vladimir commented as the two came across Shadya at a door.

"Find something?" Ernie asked.

"This door is password-protected," Shadya explained as she gestured her head at the password input unit next to the door. She ducked immediately as a hard plastic disk flew at the spot where her head just was. "And they're setting off traps to try and deter me. I'm insulted that they think that will accomplish anything."

"Did you try typing in 'password'?" Ernie joked.

"That was the first one I tried. It struck me as the exact kind of stunt this show would pull," Shadya relayed. "I also tried many variations of the names of the hosts."

* * *

Over in the control room, Kiki and Kun looked at the same monitor of the three attempting to enter the door.

"What do we do now, O leader?" Kiki asked.

"Well, um, we don't know for sure that that door leads to them coming closer," Kun said nervously. "It could, um, lead to a broom closet."

"What kind of broom closet has a password-protected lock?!" Kiki asked.

"Maybe they don't want, um, unauthorized persons, um, getting to the bleach?" Kun said uncertainly.

"This is a pointless argument," Kiki decided. She pressed a few more buttons, and even more plastic disk launchers came out of the wall. "We need to get them away from this obviously-important door."

"Don't you think fighting back harder might, um, make Shadya even more determined?" Kun fretted as he watched the disk launchers fire at the door.

Shadya was now ducking full-time, frantically trying to input the password. Ernie and Vladimir stood away from the line of fire.

"You just have to have a response to everything, don't you?" Kiki accused.

"Well, um, I've, um, played with Shadya before, and, um, she isn't really backing down..." Kun stammered.

"Guys, please," Quentin pleaded. "Just focus on the challenge."

"I'm trying, but Kun has to have a problem with everything I suggest!" Kiki shouted frustratedly.

"I'm just, um, making sure we're doing what's best for, um, victory," Kun maintained.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Dalit:** Kun is just no good as a leader. I still think voting out Jean-Marie as soon as it is we can is better, because Kun won't be able to fight back once Jean-Marie is gone, but Kun is really annoying me, too.

* * *

The group in the kitchen had begun work on making fish and chips as per Nolan's suggestion.

"The key is to season the fish filets _before_ battering them," Nolan explained to Bailey and Topher. "Now, I've never relayed the secret blend of herbs and spices to anyone outside the Gallagher family, so I expect both of you to marry into the family. My cousins Samuel and Zoe are both single."

"Topher and I are both in committed, long-term relationships already," Bailey pointed out.

"Polyamory is becoming more and more accepted these days," Nolan dismissed as he finished writing down ingredients on a list. "I want you guys to get these from the spice cabinet and mix them all in a small bowl. That will be our seasoning rub."

"That's a lot of spice," Bailey commented.

"We do need to feed all the contestants and Chef," Topher figured.

"Exactly," Nolan nodded.

"But what will you be doing?" Topher asked.

"I'll check on you in a second, after I talk Frita and Lindsay through getting the fries ready," Nolan told them.

The gambler made his way to the other end of the kitchen.

"Is this some kind of sick joke, making me do the fries?" Frita scowled.

"...I don't get it," Lindsay admitted.

"My parents failed to realize, when spelling my name like they did, that it was Spanish for 'fried'," Frita sighed.

"Just a coincidence, I promise you," Nolan told her.

"Let me guess, the dice?" Frita droned.

"I had it on hand, I figured I might as well," Nolan smirked as he moved his die between his fingers. "But anyway, unlike the fish, you season the fries _after_ they're done frying. Do you guys know how to work a fryer?"

"You press the fry button, right?" Lindsay guessed.

"After lowering a basket full of frozen fries into the hot oil," Nolan confirmed. "That'll be the timer. Take the fries out once the timer's up, and replace them with new fries."

"And the seasoning?" Frita inquired.

"Uh... I might be out of single cousins. There's my uncle, but..." Nolan thought aloud.

"Is your uncle hot?" asked a young woman who wasn't there before.

"I mean, I'm in no position to answer that, but- Wait, who are you and when did you get here?!" Nolan realized.

"Oh, I'm Naomi! I was supposed to help in the challenge by being an obstacle or something, buuuuuuut I got lost. Sooooooo, I'm here instead!" Naomi explained.

"Naomi!" Lindsay greeted cheerily. "It's been so long!"

"Lindsay!" Naomi cheered sunnily. "Oh my gosh, we need to catch up!"

"I'll help you with fries, don't worry," Nolan told Frita, resigned in his voice.

"Bless you," Frita sighed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Frita:** I guess if I can be grateful of one thing, it's that they picked Dalit to play this season instead of Naomi.

* * *

Hugh and Steve Jenkins carefully made their way through the hall, making sure to stop before a wall shot out in front of them to crush them. The timers revealed that about 7 minutes remained.

"What kind of psychopaths designed this challenge?" Hugh growled.

"Chef? Chris?" Steve Jenkins proposed.

"Yeah, I guess. What the hell was the point of Lindsay's electrotherapy if Chris is still going to be pulling this shit, though?" Hugh complained.

"I don't know. I'm just here to win Total Drama," Steve Jenkins shrugged. "Say, where do you think that vent leads?"

Steve Jenkins pointed to a vent, positioned similarly in relation to the wall to the vent where the Grand Gryphons had infiltrated the building.

"Only one way to find out," Hugh figured. "Give me a boost."

"Steve Jenkins is known for uplifting the lives of others just by being there," Steve Jenkins nodded sagely as he used his hands to lift Hugh high enough to where he could take the grate off of the vent.

Hugh crawled into the vent, with Steve Jenkins not far behind.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kiki and Kun continued to argue in the control room.

"You don't need to be the leader, you know! You can leave it in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing!" Kiki argued.

"That's, um, simply not acceptable," Kun denied. "If I'm to lead my father's company someday, I, um, I need to develop leadership skills by putting them into practice."

"So you admit that you haven't developed leadership skills, but you're content with tanking all of our games for the sake of your stupid pencil corporation," Kiki scoffed.

"We've only lost, um, one challenge so far," Kun pointed out.

"Guys? Can this wait?" Quentin frowned.

"I'm just baffled as to how someone with clearly no self-confidence thinks he can lead a team," Kiki groaned.

"Wasn't that, um, how you were in House Party?" Kun challenged.

"No! Having social anxiety as a result of being sexually assaulted is not the same as being a spoiled rich boy who thinks the world owes him its obedience!" Kiki shouted, point-blank.

"Guys, please," Quentin pleaded. "Settle this after the challenge."

"Do not silence Kiki!" Dalit accused.

"I-I wasn't trying to! ...I just think we should focus on winning the challenge!" Quentin insisted.

In the back of the room, Hugh and Steve Jenkins slipped in through a vent, but none of the Fighting Wyverns stationed in the room seemed to notice. The glanced at their opponents, at the case that had been left on the floor in the middle of the room, then at each other. They ran to the case, took it, ran back to where the vent had opened, and made their swift exit, undetected.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Steve Jenkins:** Say what you will about the Fighting Wyverns, but they at least have the common decency to basically give Steve Jenkins the case he needs to win the challenge. Lesser teams wouldn't have been so kind. _(He shakes his head in disapproval.)_ Sad.

* * *

Hugh and Steve Jenkins squeezed out of the vent and back into the hallway, the case in hand. The timers indicated 5 minutes left.

"Oh, we got this," Hugh grinned devilishly. "We just need to get out of here, and we're golden."

"Which way's out of here again?" Steve Jenkins asked.

"It's, uh... uh... You're Steve Jenkins, shouldn't your super-genius mind have remembered?!" Hugh retorted.

"Well, yeah, obviously," Steve Jenkins said unconvincingly. "I just wanted to let you take some of the credit. But if you don't know, then we have to go... that way, obviously."

"Whatever. We should be moving anyway," Hugh decided as the two began to run in the direction Steve Jenkins had pointed.

The two ran for a minute or so in silence before Hugh spoke up.

"No traps. I guess they're still arguing," Hugh sneered.

"That, or the more likely explanation, they don't want to inflict any harm on the object of their desires," Steve Jenkins figured.

"Yeah, or that," Hugh snarked. "Hold up, we've got company."

The two Grand Gryphons skidded to a halt once Jean-Marie and Louise entered their field of vision. The two Fighting Wyverns took notice of their opponents.

"Hey, they've got the case!" Louise pointed out.

"Well, that's no good," Jean-Marie tsked. "We should do something about that, _non_?"

"_Oui_," Louise affirmed as she cracked her knuckles.

"Yeah right! We can take you!" Steve Jenkins challenged.

"I didn't get to be Coach through my charisma alone!" Louise grinned readily. "Bring it on!"

She ran for Hugh, who was holding onto the case.

"Oh crap," Hugh gulped. "Uhhhh, here, catch!"

Hugh tossed the case to Steve Jenkins right before Louise tackled him to the ground. Jean-Marie wasted no time running up to Steve Jenkins to take the case for himself, but Steve Jenkins held the case above his head.

"Heheh. Can't reach, can you?" Steve Jenkins taunted.

Jean-Marie gave Steve Jenkins a peeved look before shoving the vlogger, causing him to stagger. He dropped the case as he tried to re-balance himself, which Jean-Marie quickly capitalized on by picking it up and running off.

"Yeah! Go JM!" Louise cheered as she kept Hugh pinned down to the floor.

"Don't just stand there, artard! Go chase him!" Hugh ordered Steve Jenkins.

"Oh, yeah, good point," Steve Jenkins realized as he gave chase to Jean-Marie.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Jean-Marie:** Patrolling the building turned out to be a good plan. All I have to do is stall them out for the rest of the challenge, and we win. Of course, things are never so easy, are they?

* * *

Jean-Marie found himself in the same hallway where Shadya, Ernie, and Vladimir had tried to figure out the password to the door.

"Jean-Marie!" Vladimir called out.

"Why would the password be- Oh, I see," Shadya noticed the man holding the case.

"Looks like he literally brought us what we need to win. Neat," Ernie smirked.

"_Ce n'est pas bon_," Jean-Marie grunted as he turned around to run the other way, only to find Steve Jenkins.

"You can't run away forever, even if you are French!" Steve Jenkins told him.

"Come now, that tired old joke?" Jean-Marie sighed.

He tried to weave past Steve Jenkins, but to no avail, as Shadya grabbed him by the hood and lifted him into the air.

"Hm, I've never encountered a lady strong enough to lift me. I'm impressed," Jean-Marie complimented.

"I know I'm impressive. Tell me something I haven't heard a million times from more charming men than you," Shadya said coldly.

"_Mon réfrigérateur fait des siennes. Je ferais mieux de terminer ce livre d'ici vendredi_," Jean-Marie told her.

"...What the hell are you talking about?" Shadya asked, confused.

"I doubt it's something you've ever heard," Jean-Marie reasoned.

With Jean-Marie distracted, Vladimir was able to swipe the case from his hands.

"Thanks for the win," Vladimir called back as he ran for the exit.

A noise sounded through the bank.

"Time's up! The Grand Gryphons couldn't get the case out of the building in time, so they lose!" Chef's voice echoed throughout.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Shadya growled as she threw Jean-Marie aside, at the wall.

"I did what I could. Wish the rest of you hadn't gotten in the way," Steve Jenkins tutted.

"The way out is the other direction," Ernie told him flatly.

"I think I'd know which way is out," Steve Jenkins doubted.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Jean-Marie:** It's hard to know how easily the other team could have won this challenge, but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth, as it were. _(He rubs his arm.)_ Although I don't think Shadya throwing me against the wall was necessary.

**Ernie:** Turned out that the locked door did, in fact, lead to the room where they were holding the case. The password was "Nachos". Like, how the hell were we supposed to guess that?

* * *

The contestants, minus the ones at the diner, all gathered outside the bank.

"Congratulations, Fighting Wyverns, on another win!" Chris beamed. He looked at the group. "Is Naomi still in there?"

"Naomi? Was she supposed to be here?" Quentin asked.

"Give me a break," Chris groaned. "Anyway, for winning today's challenge, the Fighting Wyverns win a reward!"

The Grand Gryphons looked relieved to not have to go to a vote.

"Want to tell them what they won, Chef?" Chris asked.

"The seven of y'all, plus the three who are making food right now, each get a Letter From Home Ticket!" Chef told them. "Are you feeling down in the dumps? Well normally, I'd tell y'all to suck it the hell up! But every soldier knows the value of hearing from your loved ones, so if ya ever feel like ya need it, then just turn in your ticket."

This sparked murmurs from everyone present, excited ones from the Fighting Wyverns, and disappointed ones from the Grand Gryphons.

"Grand Gryphons! I guess y'all ain't so grand after all! Y'all ain't won shit, so get on out of here!" Chef roared.

"You will not be so lucky tomorrow," Shadya told the Fighting Wyverns before taking her leave with the others.

"Fighting Wyverns, with that out of the way, it's time for the Best/Worst vote!" Chris informed the winning team.

Chef handed pencils and paper to each of the still-present contestants.

"You should know well how this works by now. Choose the participating player who you thought did the best, and the worst, in the challenge," Chris reiterated.

"I'd say we've done it enough times to know better than to really choose who did the worst," Jean-Marie said slyly to Louise.

"Who are you voting for again?" Louise asked.

"Ah ah ah! No conspiring! Just voting," Chris scolded.

"Apologies," Jean-Marie told the host.

* * *

After the votes had been cast and tallied, Chris and Chef stood before the seven.

"Alright, the decisions have been made," Chris informed the group. "And the person who was chosen as the best this round is..."

...

...

...

...

...

"Jean-Marie, congratulations!" Chris announced. "You've won penthouse privileges this round."

"Oh?!" Jean-Marie gasped, taken aback.

"You managed to, um, keep the case away from Hugh and Steve Jenkins. Good job," Kun complimented.

"I could not have done it without Louise's help," Jean-Marie said. "I would have thought she'd win this vote."

"You guys can make it up to me by picking me next time," Louise chuckled. "But nah, you earned this, man."

"If the majority says so," Jean-Marie accepted.

"But it ain't all sunshine n' rainbows!" Chef interrupted. "Because the person voted as the worst was..."

...

...

...

...

...

"Kiki! I expected more from one of the players I picked!" Chef shouted.

"Well, what can you do?" Kiki shrugged, unperturbed.

"What you can _do_ is head to Isolation Park!" Chef commanded. "March to it, soldier!"

"Yeah, yeah," Kiki sighed as she headed off, Chef right behind.

"Well, that's that," Chris told the contestants. "The dinner that your teammates prepared should be about ready by now. Go have yourselves a treat. Hehaha."

"Yeah, victory meal!" Louise cheered.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kiki:** I think everyone's figured out by now that going to Isolation Park, while an ordeal, is worth the drawbacks if it means a chance at finding a hidden statue. That's why I asked my allies to vote me as the worst on the way out of the building. I was worried that the others would outnumber us, but I guess they aren't as good of a unit as Kun wants everyone to believe.

* * *

**Best:**

Jean-Marie - Cyan, Kun, Louise, Quentin

Louise - Jean-Marie, Kiki

Dalit - Dalit

**Worst:**

Kiki - Dalit, Kiki, Quentin

Cyan - Cyan, Louise

Kun - Jean-Marie, Kun

* * *

Later on, over at the diner, Nolan and Frita served Quentin a plate of fish and chips.

"Enjoy," Nolan told Quentin proudly.

"Wow, this smells good," Quentin said excitedly.

"I should hope so. Bailey, Topher, and I already have arranged marriages thanks to this dish," Frita droned.

"Huh?" Quentin asked, confused.

"Just an in-joke. You had to be there," Nolan dismissed.

"Well, I'm glad you guys are getting along well," Quentin said before taking a bite of his food. "Mm, that is good."

"Another satisfied soul." Nolan folded his arms, pleased with himself. "Speaking of getting along, how well are the two of you getting along with the team in general?"

"The answer to that is so obvious that it borders on condescending," Frita frowned.

"I had faith in you, Frita," Nolan said disingenuously. "Surely you get along well with, I don't know, Cyan or Louise. They're sweet."

"I haven't spoken to them much. Have you?" Quentin asked Frita.

"What do you people think I do with my time?" Frita asked.

"I should hope getting to know your teammates is up there. It's important for the game, you know," Nolan mentioned.

"I know I'm losing the game. Why put in the extra effort if it won't amount to anything?" Frita denied.

"You never know how a game will end until it's ended," Quentin assured her. "You've beaten me at Street Fighter how many times? And you keep saying you don't think you'll win."

"Th-That's different and you know it," Frita said.

"Regardless, it wouldn't hurt to expand your options," Nolan hinted at the two. "With Bailey and myself both as wild cards, how much can you rely on Dalit and Kiki to keep yourselves afloat?"

"Hey, Nolan! You had better not be manipulating my friends!" Dalit accused as she approached the three.

"Nothing of the sort. Frita and I are just serving Quentin some dinner," Nolan told her. "Here, I'll go get you a plate."

"It's good!" Quentin told Dalit with a mouth full of fries.

"...It does smell good," Dalit admitted.

Nolan grinned proudly to himself as he retreated to the kitchen.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Nolan:** Mission accomplished. I promised Cyan I'd push Frita and Quentin towards working with her and Louise, and there we go. Who says I can't be a good ally? If it'll make it harder for JM and Kun to get back at me for getting rid of Joseph, well, that's just an added bonus.

**Quentin:** Cyan and Louise, huh? They do seem pretty cool, but I already have my loyalties, I think. Sure, Dalit doesn't like me very much, and Kiki kind of looks down on me, but I can trust in them for sure, I'm pretty sure.

* * *

Over at another booth in the diner, Bailey served plates of fish and chips to Brittany, Hugh, and Irving.

"So, how be things over on the enemy ship?" Irving asked.

"I'm still not sure where exactly I want to make commitments, but I have time to figure it out," Bailey admitted. "The Joseph vote was mainly me piggybacking off of now Nolan had randomly decided to vote."

"Yeah, fair enough, I guess," Hugh figured. "You probably shouldn't hang around with us too much, though. We don't want the other team knowing you're working with us."

"That is a good point..." Bailey conceded. "Well, best of luck to you three in the future."

Bailey took her leave.

"You didn't have to tell her to get lost, basically," Brittany chided Hugh.

"What, and give away all our shit before we even merge?" Hugh scoffed.

"I think there be more important matters at hand," Irving mentioned. "Ernie or Shadya?"

"Ernie, obviously," Hugh said. "He refuses to work with us. Why the hell should we keep him, especially when Shadya's frankly our best challenge player?"

"Shadya be the biggest threat, o'course!" Irving argued. "She be in no rush to work with us, either, and without her, I can't imagine Ernie of all people will get people to listen to him."

"There's a good case to be made for both," Brittany mediated. She turned to Hugh. "Do you know if Steve Jenkins has any preference?"

"I feel like he's leaning Ernie, but honestly, I can see him going either way," Hugh admitted.

"We can talk to him about it later. For now, let's just enjoy dinner," Brittany suggested.

"I can agree with that!" Irving said readily. He forked an entire fish filet into his mouth.

"Can you even taste that?" Brittany asked.

"Delicious!" Irving insisted as tears ran down his face.

"Scalding your mouth there?" Hugh teased.

"I be invincible!" Irving declared unconvincingly. He coughed the fish back onto his plate.

"Lovely," Brittany cringed. "Can we have a nice, normal dinner, without any game talk or regurgitation?"

"I don't know why you expected nice out of me or Irving," Hugh remarked.

"I do be the most cutthroat pirate this game's ever known," Irving agreed.

"Should I point out the obvious, or...?" Brittany asked rhetorically.

"If ye have to ask, the answer probably be 'no'," Irving told her.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Bailey:** It does hurt that I can't touch base with my old allies without seeming suspicious, but I'll just have to do what I can with the situation I'm in. And hey, if I ever feel really lost, I can always get that letter. Maybe it'll be from Franklin, with the exact insight I need. _(She blushes.)_

**Brittany:** Sometimes I don't know why I put up with those two idiots. I guess Irving's not the worst, but they can both be immature, especially around each other. I guess if the alternative is working with Shadya, I can put up with immature.

* * *

Jean-Marie had invited Cyan, Kun, and Louise to his penthouse at Blaising Tower.

"Sorry again that we split up the worst votes on accident," Cyan apologized to Kun.

"Well, it was an honest mistake, and, um, there's no use crying over spilled milk," Kun figured. "Still, I wish it was me searching for statues instead of, um, Kiki."

"That is something for tomorrow-Kun to worry about," Jean-Marie told him. He opened a bottle of wine. "For now, let tonight-Kun unwind and enjoy the spoils of a well-earned victory."

"I don't know if I should be drinking," Kun said unsurely.

"Oh come on, one glass won't kill you," Louise insisted as she accepted a glass from Jean-Marie. "Besides, I think all of us have had drinks before challenges and turned out fine."

"Wait, w-what?!" Kun reacted.

"It's not a big deal," Cyan assured him as she handed him a glass. "Would Louise and I do something that would put you at any kind of danger?"

Kun didn't seem to have an answer.

"A toast!" Jean-Marie proclaimed. "To a second chance at the game! May it be fruitful indeed."

They all raised their glasses and voiced their agreement before taking a sip.

"It's no blue curaçao, but it's still pretty good," Cyan giggled.

"I love a chardonnay on a pleasant summer night," Jean-Marie smiled. "_Beau vin et belle compagnie lors d'une belle nuit..._"

"I don't know what you just said, but it sounded cool," Cyan laughed.

On the other side of the room, Louise noticed Kun looking at the floor.

"Hey, look, you don't have to drink if you don't want to. Cyan and I were just playing," Louise assured him.

"It's not that," Kun said as he took a sip. "I'm just anxious about if I'm doing the right thing in the game."

"What do you mean?" Louise asked.

"Targeting Kiki... She's, um, been through so much, and maybe I have been looking at everything all wrong. Maybe I am, um, in the wrong," Kun explained.

"Look, man, we all have our struggles," Louise told him. "I know Kiki's been through some pretty bad stuff, but we're all here to play the game, and we all want to win. If you want to win, you'll have to make sure she loses at some point. That's the way I look at it. I don't love the idea of screwing over other people, either, so I like to look at it more as a 'may the best player win' kind of thing, you know?"

"I don't know," Kun sighed.

"Well, what would you do if not vote for Kiki?" Louise asked. "Dalit had a horrible upbringing, Frita's depressed, Nolan's trying to make ends meet for him and his wife, which, believe me, is not easy."

"And Bailey and Quentin are people who I'm, um, trying to sway," Kun concluded. "I guess there isn't really a right answer here, is there?"

"Part of being a leader is making tough decisions. I know you know that," Louise reminded him. "Remember Makani Island? You came in shivering and miserable, not two hours after you lost the game, and you already started giving us direction on how to maintain camp. And it worked! I know you can lead the team on the best possible course."

"...Thanks, Louise," Kun smiled. "You always were good at encouraging people."

"I try my best," Louise chuckled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Cyan:** Don't think I didn't catch Kun not responding when I asked him if he thought Louise or I wouldn't put him in danger. I think voting for Joseph might have hurt his trust in me. I love Kun and JM as friends, but with things looking a lot less certain, I need to do what's best for my game. Whether that involves Kun and JM or not is to be seen.

**Kun:** This is something I've been thinking about for a while, and, um, will probably keep thinking about. My relationship with Kiki has always been, um, awkward, and I want to be able to work it so we don't have to target each other, but I fear that may not be, um, possible. ...A good leader should at least try, though.

* * *

Ernie, Shadya, Steve Jenkins, and Vladimir had all gone to their team's garage hangout.

"Well, victory was neat while it lasted," Ernie remarked. "At least I assume it was. I was, ya know, in the forest the entire time."

"We will recover," Shadya said firmly. "But should things continue to go disastrously, the possibility of which I cannot count out anymore, I want us all to be on the same page."

"You're still on board with an Irving vote, I trust?" Vladimir figured.

"He's the biggest threat of the three by far," Shadya confirmed. "Hugh has no social skills or physical ability, and Brittany's too wishy-washy. Irving not only has no qualms with screwing us over, he has the ability to do so."

"He's no Steve Jenkins, of course, but I could see him taking second this season," Steve Jenkins commented.

"Where does that place you?" Shadya asked. "First has already been claimed."

"What's important is that, like, we're all good to vote Irving, right?" Ernie butted in.

"Absolutely," Vladimir confirmed.

"Sure," Steve Jenkins said.

"Then it's settled," Shadya asserted.

"Cool. Now that that's out of the way, I feel like my contributions to the team aren't being recognized enough," Steve Jenkins mentioned. "Granted, anything less than the usual amount of adoration I experience on a daily basis is too little, but I've come to terms with the fact that everyone in this show thinks they're better than me for some reason. But I've been kicking ass at these challenges, plus my hair has been fleek AF these days, and not one person has complimented me on either. I'm still Steve Jenkins over here, and-!"

"Keep talking, and I get to remove one bone of my choosing from your body," Shadya threatened.

"Tch," Steve Jenkins scoffed.

"Which bone do you think she'd choose?" Ernie joked to Vladimir. "She strikes me as a scaphoid kind of girl."

"I'm... not sure what that implies, but I don't know enough about bones to really disagree," Vladimir responded.

"I just threw the first bone that came to mind out there. Thanks for, like, playing along," Ernie shrugged.

"No problem," Vladimir chuckled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Ernie:** I took a course on autopsy once, just to see if it was, ya know, for me. The scaphoid is the bone between the trapezium and the radius. Basically, the one between your arm and where your thumb begins. Breaks often during falls since people are, like, inclined to try and use their hands to break a fall. Don't ever say I never taught you anything.

**Vladimir:** I'm still not entirely sure where Steve Jenkins' head is. I get the feeling that he really does want to jump ship and join up with the other three, which, of course, would be bad. I need to really get into his head and convince him that he'd rather stay with us than with them, but, frankly, I don't know if anyone knows how his head works.

* * *

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay stood outside the limits of Drama City.

"Well, after all is said and done, at least they liked the fish and chips," Topher said.

"Are you really going to marry Nolan's cousin?" Lindsay asked.

"What's he going to do if I don't?" Topher scoffed, amused. "I'm Topher O'Neal, co-host and fan favorite of the greatest show on earth. Who's he, some rando who voted himself out last time he played?"

"_Anyway_," Chris urged attention. "It seems like our contestants are itching to vote someone out. We left them out to dry tonight, but tomorrow, someone's going to feel _very_ unlucky. Hehaha."

"Why did we have these reward challenges again?" Lindsay asked, scratching her cheek a little.

"Mr. Nelson felt that it was important for the sake of establishing everyone's place in the season," Topher informed her. "Today's was the last one, though, if I'm not mistaken."

"That's right! They've got nowhere left to hide, now!" Chris laughed. He cleared his throat. "But anyway! Who will be our next contestant to get the Shackle?"

"Hey guys! What are you doing?!" Naomi asked as she skated up to the three.

"Doing the closing bit. You want to join us?" Lindsay invited.

"Do I?!" Naomi accepted. "...Wait, what am I supposed to say?"

"Nothing. Get out, Naomi," Chris instructed flatly.

"Come on, Chris! I'll pet her and feed her and take good care of her!" Lindsay begged.

"Kinky," Topher smirked.

"Who will win the challenge? Who will lose the challenge? What will Lindsay feed me?" Naomi asked. "Find out next time, on- ACK!"

Chris shoved Naomi aside.

"On Total!" Chris began.

"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.

"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison.

* * *

**Grand Gryphons:**

Brittany - The Loyal Bombshell

Ernie - The Lazy Law Student

Hugh - The Head Villain

Irving - The Chaotic Pirate

Shadya - The Genius Athlete

Steve Jenkins - The Vlog Icon

Vladimir - The Untrustworthy Impostor

_19th: Isidora - The Asocial Bookworm_

_20th: Lilith - The Harbinger of Unrest_

**Fighting Wyverns:**

Bailey - The Pragmatic Poet

Cyan - The Sweet Madame Blue

Dalit - The Social Media Model

Frita - The Morbid Artist

Jean-Marie - The Homeless Frenchman

Kiki - The Strategic Hipster

Kun - The Awkward Team Leader

Louise - The Friendly PE Teacher

Nolan - The Wildcard Gambler

Quentin - The Lucky Ornithologist

_18th: Joseph - The True Bro_

* * *

_A/N: Another lower-key episode, but hopefully a good one all the same. I want to be able to chug these episodes out faster than I have been, and I'm hoping that can be the case. For now, have an excellent day!_


	9. Ep 08: Pinpointing

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay stood at the city limits of Drama City.

"Last time, on Total Drama Party with the Stars!" the three began in unison.

"It was a constant battle on all fronts to ensure a majority, but who's winning, and who's fighting in vain?" Chris chuckled.

"Joseph's unexpected loss sent waves throughout the Fighting Wyverns, and folks like Cyan, Jean-Marie, and Kiki all scrambled to make sure they were in the majority," Topher recapped. "Bailey's hesitance to take any particular side made it all a bit tougher for them."

"Sometimes being in no alliance can work, too," Lindsay offered. "It got Scott pretty far."

"...Right," Chris reacted. "On the Grand Gryphons, the alliance of Brittany, Hugh, and Irving struggled to settle on a target, while Vladimir tried to infiltrate their ranks."

"He claims he doesn't intend to actually side with them, but with Vladimir, who knows for sure?" Topher questioned.

"The challenge was a bank heist: the Grand Gryphons had twenty minutes to steal a case of money from the Fighting Wyverns," Chris recapped. "With Shadya's leadership, they were able to work together in about as coherent of a way as they could have, but, even with Kiki and Kun arguing over in the control room with all the traps, they were just barely unable to get the case out of the building in time thanks to Jean-Marie's and Louise's interception."

"Topher and I got to make dinner with Bailey, Frita, and Nolan!" Lindsay added. "It was fun!"

"You didn't even do that much cooking," Topher complained.

"But it was a sweet bonding moment for us all," Lindsay smiled.

"Well, all the sweet bonding our contestants are doing may be for naught," Chris grinned. "Because tonight, someone else is going home! The stakes are getting higher, folks, and you don't want to miss it! It's all happening right now, on Total!" he began.

"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.

"Party with the Stars!" the three concluded in unison.

* * *

Vladimir found Steve Jenkins posing by the Chris-shaped fountain at McLean Park.

"Hey there. Working out poses for when they make a fountain in your image?" Vladimir guessed.

"Finally, someone understands," Steve Jenkins mentioned. "I've gotten so many weird looks and a few chuckles. Like, I'm Steve Jenkins, what do you think I'm doing here?"

"Some people just don't want to understand others because they're scared of the notion that they're not perfectly right all the time," Vladimir bemoaned.

"Yeah, I don't get other people sometimes," Steve Jenkins agreed.

"Well, hey, I just wanted to touch base with you as far as a potential vote goes," Vladimir segued. "I know Ernie and Shadya are pushing for Irving, but Irving's group are pushing for Ernie and Shadya. I don't think they ever actually settled on who."

"I'd rather vote Shady, personally," Steve Jenkins said. "I'm starting to get the feeling she doesn't think very highly of me. Like, what gives?!"

"Ah, you know how she is. She likes to make herself out to be the best, even if it means she won't acknowledge other people's good points," Vladimir reasoned. "Personally, I'm kind of worried about Irving, though. He's a pretty manipulative threat, the kind of person who will put you into a false sense of security before stabbing you in the back. Remember how he casually got Isidora eliminated, just on a whim?"

"Aw, that's right, he did do that!" Steve Jenkins realized. "That was my ally, damn it!"

"And I bet he's willing to do the same to you," Vladimir told him. "Brittany might, too. You were gunning for her pretty hard early on. I doubt she's forgotten that. She probably wants you gone, too."

"Man, these jealous lamers, trying to screw me over!" Steve Jenkins ranted. "Thanks for the info, Baz. You could have just saved my game!"

"I've got your back," Vladimir smiled. "I'd hate for those guys to throw you under the bus."

"You're a real one," Steve Jenkins complimented as he offered a fist bump. Vladimir reciprocated.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Vladimir:** I think, when it comes to convincing Steve Jenkins to work with you, it pays to prey on his sense of self-worth. Make him feel like others are out to get him or leading him into danger, and he'll move far away from them. Anger is the fastest cure for uncertainty, after all. He did say something about feeling like Shadya doesn't respect him, which does worry me. I'll have to do something about that.

**Steve Jenkins:** Man, those other guys are totally stringing me along! I can't believe I never realized that before. But then, it's not like Ernie or Shadya can look past their own egos and see me for the valuable human being I truly am. So I don't really like them, either. Man, this whole team sucks. Kiki should have stolen me onto her team, maybe they'd actually have some respect for me!

* * *

Cyan met up with Jean-Marie and Kun in the penthouse.

"_Bonjour_, you two," Jean-Marie smiled. "Cyan, to what do I owe the pleasure? Would either of you care for a snack or beverage, by the way?"

"I'll be, um, fine," Kun declined. "But yes, Cyan, um, I imagine this has to be serious, for you to arrange a meeting with us."

"It's kind of serious, but not... _super _serious?" Cyan worked out awkwardly. "Anyway, it's something I should be transparent about because you guys deserve to know. I voted for Joseph the other night."

"Oh, well, um, I... I guess it's nice to know for sure," Kun stammered. "Can I ask why?"

"Well, I felt like that's the direction the votes were going anyway, and I didn't want to be part of the minority," Cyan explained. "People will target people who don't vote with them because those people look less trustworthy to them."

"A smart move," Jean-Marie nodded. "Joseph would have gone home regardless of if you'd voted for him or not if memory serves."

"I'm glad you were honest with us about this," Kun told Cyan. "I was worried about the numbers."

"Yeah, and that's my bad for not telling you sooner," Cyan apologized. "I want you two to know that I do still want to work with you."

"But you worry about how the dynamics may play out with Joseph gone and Bailey here," Jean-Marie figured out.

"Er... Well..." Cyan rubbed the back of her neck.

"Bailey and Quentin, I believe, are the two we need to try and talk into joining us," Jean-Marie mentioned. "I plan on talking to Quentin about it soon."

"Well hey, what a coincidence, so am I," Cyan giggled.

"I'm, um, still not entirely sure where Bailey's head is, but I think she's willing to work with us," Kun mentioned. "The bottom line is, um, we can definitely work with what we have."

"As good leaders do," Jean-Marie smiled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Cyan:** I meant what I said when I told them I want to keep working with them, but I also meant it when I've said in here before that I'm willing to explore other options if I have to. I guess it all depends on where Bailey and Quentin are at.

**Jean-Marie:** I don't know if I trust Cyan entirely, but it would probably be best to give her the benefit of the doubt, at least for now. I don't want another Brittany situation to occur, so what I should do is talk to those I'm not already working with and make them want to work with me. That way, even if Cyan does turn on Kun's alliance, I'll still have options.

**Kun:** There's, um, a lot of uncertainty going around my head right now. A little less now that Cyan admitted she voted for Joseph, because, um, if she didn't trust us and didn't want to keep working with us, then, um, she wouldn't have told us, I think. Unless that's what she wants us to think! No, I can't get paranoid. A leader must stay, um, grounded, and focused on his goals. _(He clears his throat.)_

* * *

Ernie had just left his motel room and came across Brittany about to enter hers.

"Oh, hey, uh..." Ernie yawned. "Brittany. I think we should talk."

"Huh? What's up?" Brittany asked.

"I just want to see where your head was at as far as, ya know, an Irving vote," Ernie said. "I know you've been, like, working with him, but I really think it'd benefit you more to drop him."

"How do you figure?" Brittany hummed.

"Look, say what you will about me and Shadya and Steve Jenkins, but we're not the type to stab our allies in the back," Ernie claimed. "Hugh and Irving, like, demonstrably are. I don't understand how or why you trust those two over us, who also wanted to work with you. I genuinely don't."

"I just do," Brittany told him. "And for the record, Steve Jenkins isn't as trustworthy as you might think."

"Come on, Brittany. Even he knows better than to side with an obviously strong alliance and be at the bottom of the totem pole than to dismantle it," Ernie leered.

"So, when are we going to get to the part where you explain to me that working with you over people I trust is going to benefit me?" Brittany snarked.

"You have no reason to trust them!" Ernie reiterated.

"They've given me no reason not to," Brittany insisted. "It wouldn't help them to turn on me, or each other, or whoever. We're all trying to stay in the game."

"Do you really not see the benefit in one of them throwing the other under the bus, and you by extension, to eliminate the stigma of having the alliance in the first place?" Ernie doubted.

"Not if it'll mean they side with an obviously strong alliance and be at the bottom of the totem pole rather than dismantling it," Brittany countered. "Just because people have played dirty in the past doesn't mean they always will..."

"Well, don't say I didn't, like, warn you," Ernie sighed. "I did want to work with you, ya know. You always seemed cool."

"Sorry I don't live up to your expectations," Brittany remarked.

Brittany entered her motel room. Ernie shook his head and took his own exit.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Ernie:** This is so unnecessarily frustrating. It should not be so difficult to convince someone smart like Brittany that, like, Hugh and Irving can and have stabbed allies in the back as soon as it benefits them. In case she hasn't noticed, like, she's in the minority with those two. It would benefit them to backstab her, no matter what she seems to think.

**Brittany:** I don't know if Ernie just doesn't know that Steve Jenkins and Vladimir have talked about turning on him, or if he just doesn't believe they will, or what, but I'm confident that my allies and I are not in nearly as bad of a position as he seems to think we're in. Maybe I have too much faith, but I think that's better than having too little faith.

* * *

Frita and Quentin entered their garage hangout to see Louise already on the PlayStation.

"Oh, hey guys!" Louise greeted. "I can get off in a second. I just need to finish this game."

"Don't feel like you have to go out of your way for our sake," Quentin offered.

"No, it's fine. I was about done playing anyway," Louise assured them. "I just needed to get some practice in so I can smoke Nolan next time he's available."

"What if he's been practicing, too?" Frita asked.

"Then I accept the challenge!" Louise beamed.

"How can you stay so optimistic when the odds are against you?" Frita asked.

"Frita, come on," Quentin admonished.

"It's a genuine question," Frita insisted.

"It's fine," Louise smiled. "I just appreciate any chance I can get to better myself. Losing is just a chance to learn from your mistakes, right?"

"That's not necessarily true..." Frita sighed.

"You've been getting better at these games the more you play. Aren't you learning every time you play, win or lose?" Quentin told her.

"I don't know..." Frita sighed.

"Anyway, Louise, I'm glad we caught you. I feel like we haven't hung out enough," Quentin told her.

"It can be tough with paranoid people on our team assuming that we're trying to make deals or something," Louise agreed. "But yeah, I'm good to just hang out if you guys are."

"Nice!" Quentin approved as he hopped onto the couch. "So anyway, what's your favorite bird?"

"What?" Louise asked, mildly surprised.

"He likes birds," Frita explained.

"I can't say I've put too much thought into what my favorite bird is," Louise admitted. "What's yours, Frita?"

"The cassowary will attack and even kill anyone or anything who stands between it and its food," Frita grinned. "Last year, a cassowary tore the elderly man who raised it to shreds after he fell to the ground. They're basically modern-day dinosaurs."

"That's, uh... That's neat," Louise mustered.

"It's often called the most violent bird," Quentin came in. "I'm a fan of cardinals, myself. They're so beautiful and majestic."

"Oh, penguins! Penguins are birds!" Louise remembered. "I like those!"

"Also beautiful and majestic," Quentin approved.

Frita sighed and left the garage.

"I hope she doesn't feel like we were making her feel excluded," Louise worried.

"It's possible. I'll give her some space for now," Quentin figured. "I don't want her to feel like I'm patronizing her."

"You guys are close, huh?" Louise teased.

"N-Not that close," Quentin blushed.

"Mhm," Louise doubted smugly.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Quentin:** I mean, yeah, Frita and I are cool, but I just don't like her in _that_ way, you know? I really hope people aren't under the impression that we are more than friends. I don't know if I can deal with that kind of pressure right now. I especially don't want to hurt her. She's... kind of sensitive as-is.

**Louise:** You guys know how much I support friends taking their relationship even deeper! I won't try to pressure those two into anything, but come on. They're almost always with each other, they seem to understand each other pretty well, they have that opposites-attract kind of thing... I'm just saying!

**Frita:** We were going to talk game with Louise because Nolan had me realize last night that I don't really talk to people. Now I remember why. I can't relate to anyone. _(She sighs.)_ ...How come I can't have a beautiful and majestic mind, too?

* * *

The marquee outside Hatchet's Diner read "Who the hell used all the paprika?!" Within the diner, Hugh and Irving ate breakfast together.

"Ugh, after last night's dinner, having Chef back in the kitchen is such a noticeable downgrade," Hugh grumbled

"Aye, but when ye be a pirate, ye have to accustom yourself to eating what ye have," Irving said.

"Well, I'm not a pirate! Get Nolan back in the kitchen!" Hugh insisted.

"I think everyone be a pirate at least a little bit, deep down," Irving claimed. "Except this one guy I know who staunchly refuses to download anything, even if he's already bought it! How dare he not support me efforts!"

"You have my thoughts and prayers," Hugh remarked.

"I appreciate it," Irving played along. "What about ye? Are ye living the life ye always wanted to?"

"Well, I still live with my folks, as much as I wish I didn't," Hugh bemoaned. "Kaylin and I do want to get a place together, but understandably, she wants to graduate high school first."

"Didn't realize she was still in high school, ye dog," Irving teased.

"I'm twenty, it's not weird!" Hugh insisted defensively. "She'll be a senior this year. If anything, it'll give me time to figure out a job situation."

"No plans on getting a degree?" Irving asked.

"Why bother? It's a huge waste of time and money," Hugh figured. "I'm trying to become independent as soon as possible."

"Does it count as independence if she be there with ye?" Irving chuckled.

"You know what I mean, artard," Hugh leered.

"How's the food?" Shadya asked the two, having just arrived at the diner.

"Don't get your hopes up," Hugh told her.

"I inspire too much hope in myself and others to expect hope to come from anyone else," Shadya stated.

"Why Shadya! I never knew ye felt so strongly about me!" Irving gushed. "I, I don't know what to say, I-"

"Grow up," Shadya scolded.

"If growing up means ye lose your sense of humor, then no, I don't think I will," Irving sneered.

"Just make sure you focus when it's time for the challenge. It's probably for Invincibility today, given the pattern," Shadya reminded him.

"Scared the vote won't go your way?" Hugh snickered.

"For what it be worth, methinks Bailey has the worst W/L ratio out of any of us," Irving added unhelpfully.

"I don't think I could care less," Shadya claimed.

Hugh and Irving shared a doubtful look.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Hugh:** Of course, if I win this game, that'll make things a hell of a lot easier for me and Kaylin. That's why I'm dedicated to making sure everything goes right in this game. We deserve a good start to life, damn it!

**Irving:** Everybody has their own reasons to be back in this game. Frankly, I don't think anyone inherently deserves to win more than anyone else. May the best player win, I say! Especially if that player be me! I can think of less likely candidates, that be for damn sure! Gyarharhar!

**Shadya:** It's times like this where I miss having people like Ginger and Rhiannon around. Sure, they were competent, but they also knew that they were not above me in any capacity. They were good friends. Uh, insofar as they supported me in my endeavors to win. _(She clears her throat.)_

* * *

Bailey, Dalit, Nolan, and Jayne all played a board game in the tabletop section of the barcade.

"This game is confusing," Dalit frowned.

"The object of the game is to gather the four relics of the island before the island is flooded," Jayne recited. "In order to do this-"

"I know what to do, but why does there have to be cards and different powers for each player? Why can't I just go to part of the island and take the thing?" Dalit asked.

"Because then it'd be much too easy," Nolan claimed.

"What's wrong with easy?" Dalit huffed.

"If a game is too easy, then there's no point in playing it," Nolan posited. "Victories you don't have to work for aren't victories, they're handouts. Why do you think I've been playing Total Drama with a handicap?"

"To make yourself feel more important than you really are?" Dalit snipped.

"Hey, let's not escalate this," Bailey suggested.

"Why do organic people feel the need to make themselves important?" Jayne asked.

"Do you not feel the desire to justify your own existence?" Nolan asked. "To prove that you're not a waste of food and oxygen?"

"I don't eat food or breathe oxygen," Jayne pointed out.

"Fair enough," Nolan chuckled. "As for me, well, I'm just proud of the idea I had to play this way. Nobody else has played like I have before or since. Why not make the most of it?"

"Well, I'm glad you've lived a life where you enjoy when things are hard!" Dalit accused. "But the rest of us could make use of winning money. Why should you play in a way like you don't care when it matters to the rest of us?"

"Believe me, I could use the money, too," Nolan told her.

"This is a tough game, I think we all know that for a fact," Bailey interjected.

"Why can't I have anything be easy for me?!" Dalit cried. "Am I not allowed to want something be easy?!"

"Dalit, I'm sure he wasn't trying to imply anything," Bailey attempted.

"Have fun making things hard for yourself!" Dalit condemned.

She stood up and left the room.

"This will make it noticeably harder to obtain all four relics before the island floods," Jayne noted. "If I understand correctly, this will make the game more fun for Nolan."

"You know what, Dalit leaving does make things more fun for me," Nolan tsked.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Dalit:** _(She is visibly upset.)_ What's so wrong with enjoying an easy game?! Why do I have to be wrong because I like relaxing games where you don't have to work hard and can just have fun? Life is hard enough as it is! Unless you're Nolan, I guess. _(She sniffles.)_ I hope he gets a hangnail!

**Nolan:** Dalit's had it out for me since we went to elimination, if not earlier. I was hoping to be able to reconcile something with her over a nice game, but I guess even that's too much to ask from her. The more time I spend with her, the more I understand why she was voted out first last time she played. She's just not easy to get along with.

**Bailey:** Nolan is someone I think I want to stick around on this team. It's because of him that we were able to name a target that wasn't me and get rid of that target. Granted, he could always randomly pick me as the target, but the odds aren't high. In light of all of this, I wonder if I should give back and do him a favor. He clearly has some kind of influence, and that shouldn't be ignored.

* * *

Hugh and Steve Jenkins met up at their team's garage hangout.

"Alright, man, I'm going to need your help with something," Hugh began.

"I don't know. The almighty wisdom of Steve Jenkins doesn't come cheap," Steve Jenkins claimed. "What's in it for me?"

"Uh, being in the majority?" Hugh scoffed. "We've talked about this like infinity times already."

"When as many people are vying for someone's attention as they are for mine, it can be easy to lose track," Steve Jenkins shrugged.

"Ugh, just pick a target: Ernie or Shadya?" Hugh prompted. "Irving and I have been arguing about this for a while, and Brittany and Vladimir are no help."

"Both of them kind of piss me off. Right now I'm madder at Shady," Steve Jenkins answered. "Are you completely sure you've got Vladimir on your side?"

"You can't be completely sure of anything with Vladimir, but I know Bailey was making deals with him before she changed teams, so it'd make sense for him to stick with her allies if he doesn't want to piss her off," Hugh reasoned.

"Because he was talking mad shit about Irving and how we should get him out," Steve Jenkins continued. "This was a one-on-one convo, too. Nobody else was there."

"Fuuuuuuuhuhuhuuuuck," Hugh groaned. "That son of a bitch. How does this benefit him?!"

"I don't know. Lots of people do dumb things for seemingly no reason," Steve Jenkins said. "For example: Irving threw Isidora under the bus out of nowhere."

"Don't tell me you're actually thinking about voting him out!" Hugh panicked.

"Look man, I don't like Ernie or Shadya any more than you do, but I don't know if I can trust Irving, or Brittany for that matter," Steve Jenkins told him. "Ernie and Shadya need my vote, and they know it."

"But do you trust Brittany and Irving less than _Vladimir_?" Hugh doubted.

"No cap? Yes, I trust them less than Vladimir," Steve Jenkins answered. "Listen, I'm only telling you all this because you're cool and I want to keep working together. Getting the Steve Jenkins seal of approval isn't so easy, you know! You should be honored."

"Ugh, I just..." Hugh trailed off.

"We can run both sides of this team, man!" Steve Jenkins encouraged. "Just as it always should have been."

"I'll think about it," Hugh told him. "This is a sudden idea, and I'm going to need to figure out if this is the best possible move before I make it."

"Of course it's the best possible move. Steve Jenkins came up with it," Steve Jenkins grumbled.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Steve Jenkins:** Vladimir and Hugh are the second- and third-coolest people on this team. If the three of us work together, then the others will have no choice but to bow before our amazing awesomeness!

**Hugh:** Shit... I mean, I'm supposed to be _the_ villain of this season! I've backstabbed allies tons of times! But only because I didn't trust them in the first place, and I actually trust Brittany and Irving. Damn it, am I going soft? I can't be going soft! Ugh, is this really the best move for my game?

* * *

Jean-Marie and Quentin played their usual favorite game in the barcade, and Jean-Marie had just won.

"Aww. I think I'm getting used to the one on the PlayStation. It works differently," Quentin excused.

"And yet you still wish to play this one with me, knowing I prefer it," Jean-Marie smirked. "Ever the gentleman."

"W-Well, I mean, yeah, no reason not to be nice," Quentin laughed awkwardly. "Why do you prefer this one, anyway?"

"Frankly, I just prefer the atmosphere here to the atmosphere of our garage," Jean-Marie explained. "It's simply a nicer location."

"I guess I can't really argue with that," Quentin smiled.

"Quentin, may I ask you something, _si'l vous plait_?" Jean-Marie requested.

"Huh? Uh, yeah, of course," Quentin agreed.

"You've been working with Kiki, _oui_?" Jean-Marie questioned.

"Oh. I mean... kind of, yeah," Quentin admitted.

"May I ask why?" Jean-Marie inquired.

"Because..." Quentin had to pause and think for a bit. "Because I was already good with Frita, and Kiki wanted Frita in her alliance."

"I suppose that makes sense," Jean-Marie nodded. "From my point of view, it wouldn't make much sense to work with allies who don't seem to respect you, like Dalit and Kiki."

"Kiki respects me enough," Quentin told him. "Dalit... Dalit means well. She's trying to help Frita come out of her shell."

"_Est-ce une tactique que je devrais suivre_?" Jean-Marie thought aloud. "Mm, sorry. What I wish to offer is an alliance of three: the two of us, and Frita. I think it would do us well to have each other's backs, especially with the shifting dynamics of this team."

"I'd love to!" Quentin accepted. "Uh, I guess we'd have to ask Frita if she's up for it, but you two are probably my best friends in this game anyway. So this definitely works out for me."

"Wonderful," Jean-Marie smiled. "If we can keep the target off of the three of us, then things should work out well for us in the future."

"Yeah, I guess that is what alliances are for, huh?" Quentin joked.

"Truly a novel concept, _non_?" Jean-Marie laughed. He returned his attention to the arcade game. "Anyway, shall we continue playing?"

"Oh, yeah, sure, let's do it!" Quentin agreed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Quentin:** I don't think I could have asked for a better alliance myself! Actually, I wonder how close Frita and Jean-Marie are. I know they were in the same season, but they started on different teams. Then again, they both also got voted out kind of early, so maybe they hung out then? I shouldn't look a gift ostrich in the mouth. Pet ostriches being given as gifts are a thing, you know.

**Jean-Marie:** Quentin and Frita aren't really strangers, necessarily, but it's important that I stay in their good graces. I'd rather see the likes of Dalit and Kiki go home before either of them, anyway, so I can make good on my promise to keep them safe if they'll keep me safe. _Je ne joue pas à un sale jeu._ I promise.

* * *

Vladimir gathered Ernie and Shadya in his motel room.

"You can tell it's important because he's letting us into the inner sanctum," Ernie droned.

"It is important," Vladimir told the two. "Steve Jenkins is the swing vote to dismantling the opposing alliance."

"Yes, he's an insecure moron who will flock to the most recent person to compliment him. What's your point?" Shadya asked impatiently.

"My point is that you guys aren't making him feel secure in working with us," Vladimir said point-blank.

"I'm not going to pay lip service to some entitled child who acts like the world owes him adoration without any effort put in on his part," Shadya made clear.

"Yeah, like, believe me, I've tried being patient with him, but he does not make it easy," Ernie added.

"I understand that. Believe me, I do," Vladimir told them. "But there is a very possible chance that Steve Jenkins flips to join the other alliance and votes one of you two out. He mentioned feeling particularly burned by you recently, Shadya."

"I have not done anything wrong," Shadya claimed.

"I'm not saying you did," Vladimir told her. "Think of it this way: all you have to do is convince Steve Jenkins to vote for Irving. Use your understanding of psychology to your advantage. All you need to do is make him feel like voting out Irving is a better idea than voting you out. Truly convince him."

"What do you think we've, ya know, been doing?" Ernie scoffed. "Dude's dense _and_ irrational. Brittany's not interested, either, I, like, checked."

"Well, we're going to need something," Shadya decided. "And there's one person nobody's mentioned trying to talk into it."

"Irving?" Ernie asked.

"Besides Irving, smart-ass," Shadya groaned.

"If we tried Brittany, then there's no reason not talk to Hugh," Vladimir figured.

"Yeah, but can we trust Hugh to, like, go with anything anybody says?" Ernie asked. "Dude likes to be in control of his own game."

"It's like Vladimir said: psych him into thinking that Irving is the better vote," Shadya claimed. "He's not so irrational that he won't listen to people. Just make it sound like a suggestion rather than a demand. Make him feel like it's his idea to turn on his allies."

"I'll, like, leave that to you guys," Ernie yawned. "I'm no good at reverse psychology. I'm straightforward to a fault if anything."

"It's no more painful than trying to work with Steve Jenkins," Vladimir reasoned. "I think we can make this work."

"We _will_ make this work," Shadya declared.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Vladimir:** What's most important here is making sure that that tight alliance doesn't stay intact. Even if the rest of the team outnumbers them four-to-three, that doesn't matter if they can get even one person to flip. _(He chuckles.)_ Of course, if we can get even one of them to flip, then _that_ doesn't matter, now does it?

**Ernie:** I mean, I chose not to work with Hugh on purpose, but beggars really can't be choosers at this point. The merge can't come soon enough. I can't say I'm, ya know, a huge fan of having to suck up to some of the more annoying people to ever play this game.

**Shadya:** You cannot convince anyone to do anything until you truly understand what that person needs to be convinced of. What Hugh needs to be convinced of is that turning on his alliance will benefit him more than staying with them. I just need to figure out how to help him reach that conclusion. Hugh's mind can be hard to comprehend, but I've never been one to back down from something just because it's hard.

* * *

Nolan had met up with Louise in their team's garage hangout to play video games. He looked to be having some trouble, while she looked to be incredibly proud of how she was doing.

"Have you been practicing?" Nolan commented.

"Me? No, I'm just good at games," Louise said coyly.

"I see," Nolan remarked. "Speaking of being good at games, how are you feeling about your position on the team?"

"That's kind of a strange question," Louise commented.

"It's important to know every factor that's going on in a game if you want to win it," Nolan told her. "Cyan told me she wanted to improve her position. I imagine you're doing the same."

"Well, Frita and Quentin approached me to hang out earlier, so I think they see me as a valuable teammate," Louise mentioned.

"Do you see them as valuable teammates?" Nolan asked.

"I mean... not really? Is that mean to say?" Louise responded.

"And that's where you're wrong," Nolan claimed with a glint in his eye.

"Oh? Do tell," Louise said flatly.

She scored another goal in the hockey game the two had been playing.

"Every player in the game has at least some inherent value," Nolan continued. "Because everyone has a vote."

"Says the guy whose vote nobody can rely on," Louise brought up. "What are you saying? I should try working with Frita and Quentin?"

"It couldn't hurt to expand your influence," Nolan told her. "The more people there are who don't want to vote you out, the harder it'll be to get voted out."

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if I can rely on those two," Louise admitted. "I don't want to put my game in the hands of people I don't really trust. Not again."

"Hey guys," Kun greeted the two as he entered the garage. "Have either of you seen, um, Bailey? I wish to speak with her."

"Not since earlier this morning," Nolan answered. "Why? Do you need her for something?"

"Oh, um, well, nothing in particular," Kun gulped. "I just, um, as team leader, I was hoping to pick her brain a little. Maybe, um, see if she has any information on the other team we could use."

"That could be helpful," Nolan nodded.

"I'll, um, keep looking," Kun told the two before taking his leave.

"Do you think Bailey will tell him anything?" Louise asked Nolan.

"About the Gryphons? Absolutely not," Nolan chuckled. "In fact, if you ask me, I think it's more likely that he's vying to work her over into voting with him."

"If that was the case, he'd just tell me. We're allies, he trusts me," Louise claimed.

"Maybe he doesn't trust me," Nolan said. "Smart. He probably shouldn't."

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Louise:** Even as a superfan who's already played this game, I still feel like a lot of things are going over my head. I mean, I've always dedicated myself to focus more on the social game than anything, because that's what I know I'm good at. Eh, I shouldn't dwell on it. Still, I wonder why Nolan thinks I should work with Frita and Quentin. They're with Kiki, and I don't really want to work with Kiki.

**Nolan:** _(He is idly moving a coin between his fingers.)_ I don't know if Cyan intended for Louise to be a part of her expanding her reach on the team, but for my game, it would be best if my allies continue working together. Frita and Quentin aren't technically my allies, but I think they'd still keep me safe. Just because I can't promise my vote to anyone doesn't mean I can't still work the game in my favor.

**Kun:** It can be, um, very difficult to find the people you need in a city as big as this. Which, actually, isn't as big as the word "city" would imply, but even so, um, I wish there was some sort of pager system you could use to summon people with whom you wish to speak. I fear I may tire myself before the challenge even starts.

* * *

Bailey, in fact, was on the opposite end of the city at Hatchet's Diner, eating lunch with Cyan and Frita.

"Frita, you're friends with Dalit, right?" Bailey asked. "Have you spoken to her recently?"

"No," Frita sighed. "What did I do to upset her this time?"

"Nothing to my knowledge. She just seemed to be upset and I wondered if you were able to help console her," Bailey said.

"Do you usually upset her?" Cyan asked.

"Probably more often than she lets on," Frita sighed.

"Do you... enjoy working with her?" Cyan asked.

"It's something," Frita figured.

"Well, I'm actually glad I caught you two because I think we can do something awesome," Cyan beamed. "It'll be the Mediterranean Breeze of ideas!"

"...The what?" Frita asked.

"It's the color my room is painted this year. Trust me, it's amazing," Cyan explained. "Anyway! So far this team's mostly been Kiki's alliance versus Kun's alliance, right?"

"That's the impression that I've gotten," Bailey confirmed.

"I want to shake things up, and I want you two to shake things up with me," Cyan offered.

"Like an alliance?" Bailey asked.

"Here's what I'm thinking," Cyan began. "The three of us, Louise, Quentin, and Nolan. Frita, I know you trust Quentin, and Louise is someone I trust. Nolan has been good about giving me information and advice, so even if we can't rely on his vote, I think it'd be good to include him, too."

"Nolan and I are on good terms. I can work with him," Bailey mentioned. "Even without his vote, we should be able to maintain a majority."

"Same, I think," Frita echoed. "And I know Quentin and Louise get along..."

"Oh, perfect!" Cyan clapped her hands excitedly. "I know it's kind of a tall order to drop an alliance of six on you guys right out of the blue, but I think this is a group that can really make things work."

"Do you have a target in mind?" Bailey asked. "If we're voting for one of the other four, that leaves Kiki, Kun, Dalit, and Jean-Marie as options."

"I'd like to have an open discussion about that with the six," Cyan said. "I want all voices to be heard at once, to avoid miscommunication, and to give everyone the opportunity to weigh in."

"It sounds like you've been thinking hard about this," Bailey commented.

"So are you guys in?" Cyan asked.

"You can count me in," Bailey smiled.

"I guess...?" Frita mumbled.

"Oh, this is exciting!" Cyan grinned.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Cyan:** It's time I really put the game into my own hands, the way I want to! I know I'm throwing Kun and JM under the bus, here, but I don't want people to think I'm playing Kun's game anymore. I am Cyan, and I am playing Cyan's game! Don't anybody forget it! _(She winks.)_

**Bailey:** Well, it seems that the trend of people wanting the new and easy-to-sway vote on their side continues. I actually think this alliance suits me quite well, for the time being. How long it will suit me is to be determined, but, as long as I'm on the Fighting Wyverns, I will do what will benefit me on the Fighting Wyverns.

**Frita:** I really don't want to have to deal with Kiki and Dalit being mad at me if I go to another alliance. I already hate myself today, I don't need to make it any worse.

* * *

Brittany found Irving lying on a bench at McLean Park.

"Comfy?" Brittany asked.

"Not at all!" Irving laughed. He sat up. "How be ye, Mister Brittany?"

"...Irving, do you ever feel like you can never live up to the expectations of others?" Brittany asked.

"Of course not. I be the Dread Pirate Irving, I've _earned_ me reputation!" Irving boasted.

"Okay, cool," Brittany responded, upset.

"Naw, don't be like that. If ye wish to talk, yer Captain's got nothing better to do than listen," Irving told her.

"You're so thoughtful," Brittany quipped. "I don't know, I just feel like I have a lot riding on the fact that I've already won this game. Like I need to justify myself to everyone else here who's probably playing better than I ever have and didn't win."

"What's wrong with how ye've been playing?" Irving asked.

"See, I don't think there's anything wrong, at least not this season, but I worry that I'm still the messy player I was all those years ago and just don't realize it," Brittany admitted.

"Ah, ye be a smart lass, Mister Brittany," Irving dismissed. "If ye were doing anything wrong, methinks ye'd already know. Ye've been saying that ye be going out of yer way to play better than last time, and it's done ye this good so far."

"How good?" Brittany asked, mustering a small smile.

"I can guarantee ye that ye won't be the third person voted out!" Irving laughed. "Congrats, Mister Brittany, ye did it!"

"It was through hard work and powerful gameplay that I was able to make it this far." Brittany couldn't hold back a laugh of her own. "Maybe I am overthinking it. Thanks for listening."

"Listening be number eighty-four on me long list of talents," Irving claimed.

"What's number one? Humility?" Brittany joshed.

"Drinking McDonald's Sprite without tearing up," Irving snickered.

"Now _that_, I don't buy for a second," Brittany bantered.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** I probably shouldn't really put any stock in what Ernie tells me in the first place. Okay, maybe I shouldn't go that far. People have the point of view they have for a reason, and it doesn't do you any good to count any point of view out. That doesn't mean I should necessarily care if he wants to try and guilt me into working with him.

**Irving:** Alright, I've got a confession to make... There be no list! I just made that up! How can I possibly live with meself, knowing I told a lie?! How can anybody ever trust me ever again?! I- I- _(He bursts into laughter.)_ I can't keep that up.

* * *

Dalit headed back to her room at Blaising Tower.

"That spa pass was good. Just what I needed," Dalit told herself. "It's nice to take it easy, no matter what anyone says. Heh, maybe Nolan will give me his pass if he doesn't want it."

Dalit rounded a corner and accidentally bumped into someone. Upon regaining her composure, she realized it was Greg.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" Dalit scolded.

"I was," Greg said emotionlessly.

"What, so you're saying it's all my fault?!" Dalit snapped.

"All I said was that I was watching where I was going," Greg said. "Followed by an explanation that this was all I was doing in response to your query. Followed by-"

"Stop!" Dalit interrupted.

Greg stopped.

"Why can't I be right ever?!" Dalit shouted.

"It seems improbable to claim that you are never correct," Greg said.

"See, even then, you have to tell me I'm wrong!" Dalit cried.

"It is my duty to make sure the contestants are living comfortably," Greg said. "I am comforting you by claiming that your negative self-assessment is misinformed. This should result in you feeling better about yourself."

"It's not!" Dalit shouted.

"My apologies," Greg frowned. "Is there anything I can do to remedy this?"

Dalit thought about it. "What's something you don't know anything about?"

"If those things exist, then I wouldn't know what they are, because I don't know anything about them," Greg stated.

Dalit thought some more. "Do you know anything about color theory?"

"I'm afraid not," Greg admitted.

"So I could tell you all about what colors you're supposed to wear together, about contrast and all of the other things, and you couldn't correct me on a small detail I was wrong," Dalit surmised.

"Without information on the subject that you do not have, it would be impossible to do so," Greg confirmed.

"Excellent!" Dalit beamed. "Let's begin! It's important to imagine the color wheel if you want to know what color scheme your outfit will have."

"What is the color wheel?" Greg asked.

Dalit grinned excitedly. "I will teach you a lot!"

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Dalit:** It seems like the world is out to put me down, but now I have someone with who I can always be right about something with! It's so exciting to finally be on top for once! For once in my life! _(She beams.)_

* * *

Kiki wandered through Isolation Park with slow steps and noticeable bags under her eyes.

"I've got to find... another statue..." Kiki told herself. "My game could depend on it."

She sat down on a tree stump.

"I let myself in here for a reason, and damn if I'm not going to fulfill that reason," Kiki stated.

She winced as her stomach grumbled loudly.

"Maybe I'll find an apple or something first," Kiki decided. "I'll still need energy for the challenge, unless they plan on sitting me out. At this rate, I'd be willing to put my health above my pride. Maybe."

She took a deep breath and forced herself to stand up. She hobbled towards an apple tree visible from where she stood.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kiki:** It's easy to underestimate how taxing Isolation Park can be when you aren't there. When I am there, I'm kicking my past self for basically volunteering to go. But when it was time to vote, it made all the sense in the world. I just need to do what I can to win, at this point. I didn't come back after six years to accept anything but absolute victory.

* * *

The sixteen unexiled contestants met up at McLean Park with Chris, Topher, and Lindsay.

"We now welcome Kiki back from Isolation Park," Chris mentioned, cueing the hipster to join the group.

The others took notice of Kiki's sluggish movement.

"Are you alright?" Bailey asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine," Kiki maintained.

"Cool. You'll need to be fine for today's challenge!" Topher laughed. "But don't take my word for it."

"I rarely do," Ernie remarked.

"Hey guys!" greeted a jolly young man as he revealed himself from behind the Chris fountain.

"Take it from my good buddy Joel," Topher said.

"Oh yeah no this challenge is going to take a hundred and ten percent which I know isn't technically possible but man this is Total Drama so ANYTHING is possible!" Joel claimed.

Lindsay looked to be having trouble following what Joel was saying.

"What could possibly be so challenging?" Shadya doubted.

"Drum roll please!" Joel requested.

Nobody complied.

"Alright fine be boring see if I care," Joel huffed. "Anyway today's challenge is going to be a scavenger hunt that will take you all across Drama City looking for the things you need to look for so I hope you guys like looking for needles in haystacks baby!"

"How much do you want to bet that's actually going to be part of the challenge?" Nolan snickered.

"Well there's only one way to find out and that's to play in this challenge!" Joel encouraged. "Which reminds me you will for sure be playing Nolan and so will Bailey and Frita because you guys sat out last time but the Fighting Wyverns are going to have to pick three people to sit out that aren't you three."

"Does everyone understand the challenge?" Chris asked.

"It's a scavenger hunt, right?" Cyan made sure.

"What will we be looking for?" Brittany requested.

"You'll get your list of things to look for once the challenge has begun," Topher informed the contestants. "Are there any other questions?"

"So, it's the first team to bring the items back here who wins, or the first team who just finds all the items?" Kiki asked.

"The first team to bring all the items here will win!" Chris clarified. "So try not to get lost. Hehaha."

"It's easier than you'd think!" Lindsay added.

Silence.

"Alright! Fighting Wyverns, pick your three who will be sitting out, and we can get this started!" Chris instructed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Frita:** I haven't spoken to Joel in years. We spoke a little bit after Explore Party ended, and then a little bit more after the season aired, but he was pretty busy with his other friends. I don't want to talk to him and make things any more awkward than they need to be.

**Ernie:** _(He cracks his neck.)_ I really need to start getting in the headspace for more, like, active challenges. The fact that the other team needs to sit out three people at this point is not acceptable, even if two of those are only because Bailey swapped teams.

* * *

"Alright, um, is there anyone who wishes to sit out?" Kun asked.

Nobody spoke up.

"I appreciate the, um, enthusiasm," Kun smiled. "It will have to be someone, though."

"At the risk of sounding patronizing, Kiki, you seem to be out of it having spent the night at Isolation Park," Jean-Marie mentioned. "Nobody would think less of you if you wanted to take the opportunity to rest."

"I'd think less of me," Kiki said.

"Who, of the seven of us who are eligible to sit out, is eager to play in this challenge?" Kun asked.

Cyan, Dalit, Kiki, Louise, and Quentin all raised their hands.

"Jean-Marie, in light of you and I not raising our hands, shall we sit out of this one?" Kun asked.

"I would be alright with it," Jean-Marie agreed.

"We'll need one more," Kiki noted.

"I'll do it if no one else wants to," Quentin volunteered.

"Aren't you a birdwatcher?" Dalit pointed out. "You should be good at a scavenger hunt."

"If no one else wishes to sit out, then it's his prerogative to do so," Kun said.

After a brief pause, Kiki raised her hand.

"I'd hate for a skilled member of our team to sit out, and I probably could afford to take a rest," Kiki decided. "Not because I'm weak, but because I need to conserve energy for our next challenge."

"That's the spirit!" Quentin smiled.

"Any further input?" Kun asked his teammates.

Silence.

"Alright. Hosts, we'll be sitting out, um, Jean-Marie, Kiki, and myself," Kun declared.

"Great. With that out of the way, let's get this challenge underway!" Chris proclaimed.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Irving:** Harhar! What better way for a pirate to flex his muscles than a treasure hunt? Granted, I can't say I've ever sailed the real seas, but I've been geocaching enough to know what I be doing. What sort of pirate would I be without that kind of skill at least?

**Kiki:** I do feel a little better sitting out knowing that Kun and Jean-Marie are both also sitting out. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night because I pushed myself to the limit looking for statues. I feel like I should be able to contribute to the team in spite of that, but a city-wide scavenger hunt might not be realistic for me. I'll make up for it next time.

* * *

Topher and Lindsay handed one sheet of paper each to Louise and Vladimir.

"What are we looking for?" Hugh asked.

"A purpose in life, lifelong happiness, the cultivation of talent, forty-two..." Irving listed.

"True, but for the sake of the challenge, we'll need to find an iron, a bronze medal, a silver spoon, and a gold ingot," Vladimir read.

"An iron? Like for your clothes, or, like, for golf?" Steve Jenkins asked.

"I'm willing to bet it's the kind for your clothes," Brittany reasoned. "Where would we find golf clubs?"

"Well, where would we find a clothes iron?" Ernie asked.

"Probably at the place where we picked out clothes for Greg," Hugh guessed.

"That's likely the case," Shadya agreed. "As for the others, I'd guess the gymnasium for the bronze medal, Chef's kitchen for the silver spoon, and the bank for the gold ingot."

"Aw, way to steal a pirate's thunder," Irving grumbled.

"Wouldn't be the first time, won't be the last," Shadya claimed.

"When was the first time?!" Irving asked in disbelief.

"My life is very public. It's not my fault if you don't know," Shadya said.

"Regardless, it sounds like we should have an easy time finding these things," Vladimir figured. "Who's going to look for what?"

"'Tis a pirate's duty to get the gold!" Irving declared.

"It's my duty, too," Shadya leered.

"You can both go for it. With seven of us and four items to get, we'll need a few groups to go together," Brittany deduced.

"Fine, you guys can get the gold if it means that much to you. It's fine, it's whatever," Steve Jenkins tsked. "I'll get the silver spoon."

"I remember where we picked out the clothes. I'm good with getting the iron," Hugh said.

"I'll go get the silver spoon, too," Ernie decided.

"I'm interested in finding the iron as well," Vladimir offered.

"And that leaves me with the bronze medal. That works," Brittany nodded.

"Alright, let's head out!" Hugh decided.

The team split up to begin searching.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Hugh:** I don't know why Vladimir is so interested in finding the iron, but I don't trust that guy for a second. I'm going to have to keep an eye on him just to make sure he doesn't do anything weird.

* * *

"Okay, so we have four items to find, and seven of us playing," Bailey surmised. "This doesn't sound too difficult."

"Where on earth are we going to find those things, though?" Frita asked.

"Well, think about where you would usually find an iron or a spoon, et cetera," Nolan offered.

"...Where do you usually find an iron?" Frita inquired.

"In the laundry room, of course!" Dalit figured out.

"Either there, or in the room where we did the Beauty challenge for the robots," Cyan hypothesized.

"We can check both areas," Nolan compromised. "As Bailey said, there are more of us playing than there are items to find. That means we can split up and cover more ground."

"The gold ingot's pretty obvious. We found a bunch of those at the bank," Louise brought up.

"Were those real?" Quentin wondered.

"Does it matter?" Frita asked.

"It might. Make sure you can find one that's real gold," Cyan suggested.

"If we send two or three of us to the bank, that'll cut our search time significantly," Nolan thought aloud. "Assuming it's even at the bank in the first place."

"It's the safest place to look," Bailey figured. "Now, the silver spoon and the bronze medal..."

"The medal's got to be at the gymnasium. I'm sure I saw one when I was last there," Louise claimed.

"Has anyone seen a silver spoon around?" Quentin asked.

"There might be one in Chef's kitchen... assuming he'd let anyone in there," Frita suggested. "Nevermind, it's a stupid idea."

"No, it's definitely worth checking," Cyan encouraged.

"Alright, so if I'm reading the room correctly..." Louise began. "I'll head to the gym, Frita will head to the diner, Cyan to the clothes warehouse, Dalit to the motel laundry room, and Bailey, Nolan, and Quentin to the bank?"

"It's a strong start if nothing else," Bailey said. "If we don't find all four items right away, then anyone who did find their item can go help look for the others."

"Don't forget what it is we'll be looking for," Louise reminded everyone. "Eyes on the prize!"

They noticed the Grand Gryphons breaking up their team to go find the items.

"Alright, everyone, break!" Louise ordered before running off towards the direction of the gymnasium.

The others all ran in their specified directions as well.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Dalit:** You need to be fast and smart on this one! People will underestimate me a lot, but I know I'm as fast and smart as anyone, so I will win this challenge for our team!

* * *

Ernie and Steve Jenkins ran for Hatchet's Diner.

"I could have done this alone, you know," Steve Jenkins pointed out.

"I mean, technically anyone could have done any of these alone, but we have more than four of us, so, like, it pays to group up if only to make sure the other team doesn't get it," Ernie explained.

"The other team doesn't have Steve Jenkins, so we'd be fine anyway," Steve Jenkins frowned.

Ernie sighed. "Look, I'm sorry if I act like I don't value you. That's not true."

"You've sure got a weird way of showing it," Steve Jenkins accused.

"I've got, like, a weird way of showing a lot of things," Ernie said. "But... I do want to work with you in this game."

"So does everyone. You're not special," Steve Jenkins handwaved.

A lightbulb went off over Ernie's head. "No, but you are, and I'm willing to, like, do what it takes to help you go far."

"Is that so?" Steve Jenkins smirked.

"Yeah, and Irving and Brittany are, ya know, trying to get you eliminated," Ernie claimed. "Which is why we've been pushing so hard to get rid of Irving."

"No time to pay attention to whatever it is you just said! We're here!" Steve Jenkins called out as the two neared the diner.

Steve Jenkins threw open the doors and sauntered in while Ernie followed behind.

"What the hell?! Ain't you kids supposed to be doin' a challenge or some?" Chef snapped. "Dinner ain't for a few more hours!"

"We just need, like a silver spoon, and we'll be out of your hair," Ernie told him.

"Hair?! Oh, I _really_ didn't miss you, punk," Chef seethed as the sweat on his bald head shimmered intensely.

"A man's hair is important, dude. Why'd you have to make fun of him like that?" Steve Jenkins tutted.

"That wasn't intentional!" Ernie insisted.

His eyes widened and he ducked as a large fork sailed over his head and stuck itself into the wall behind him. He retreated to a nearby booth, with Steve Jenkins following close behind.

"Well, great, now how are we going to get the silver spoon?" Steve Jenkins asked.

"I distract him and you sneak in and grab it?" Ernie suggested half-heartedly.

"You know what, that just might work," Steve Jenkins grinned. "I'd actually thought of it before you said anything, but I figured I'd let you take the credit for this one. It's important to stay humble."

"I'll say," Ernie responded. He sighed. "Well, like, here I go."

The second Ernie stepped out of the booth, he had been splattered in the face by an unidentifiable brown goo. Steve Jenkins crawled out on his elbows and knees so Chef couldn't see him.

"Eugh, what is this, meat?" Ernie groaned. "I really hate that I have to, ya know, ask."

He ducked as a plate soared over his head.

Steve Jenkins made it to the kitchen, where Frita was already looking through the drawers.

"When did you get here?" Steve Jenkins stage-whispered.

"Only a minute or so ago," Frita answered. "I was right behind you two the entire time, I guess you never noticed..."

"Yeah, guess not," Steve Jenkins shrugged. "Anyway, did you find anything?"

"What do you think?" Frita winced.

"I think about whether it would be a good thing if more girls dyed their hair unnatural colors," Steve Jenkins answered. "On one hand, I'm totally into that, but on the other hand, if they all did that, I feel like it wouldn't be novel anymore. I'd just get numb to it, to the point where it's not cool anymore."

He looked at Frita to realize that she had not been paying attention to anything he'd just said.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Steve Jenkins:** Heh, Gretchen really did awaken something in me. Too bad things never got any farther with us, but she's got her own hero's journey to go on. Shine on, you crazy diamond.

* * *

Louise arrived at the gymnasium readily.

"Alright, bronze medal," Louise prepped herself. "The only time I'll be holding bronze in this game." She punched into the palm of her hand. "Now, where was it again?"

As Louise began her search, Brittany had arrived at the gymnasium, panting.

"He-Hey, Louise!" Brittany called for attention.

"Hey, Brittany!" Louise greeted back.

"We should look together," Brittany suggested. "Make things easier for both of us."

"Sorry, Brittany. Nothing personal, but I'm trying to win," Louise dismissed. "Besides, a win's no good if you aren't competing with someone else for it! Better catch up!"

Louise ran down the halls of the gymnasium.

"Well, it was worth a try," Brittany sighed. "There has to be a trophy case around here somewhere. Where else would a bronze medal be? Unless that's what they want us to think. Just focus, Brittany. Overthinking things will be the death of you."

Brittany speed-walked through the hall, looking around for the medal.

Louise, meanwhile, had just completed a lap around the halls of the building and turned to the doors to the gym room itself.

"Guess it was in here," Louise figured.

She entered the big gymnasium proper and made a line for the bleachers, allowing for a higher vantage point.

"Come on, bronze medal. Where are you?" Louise asked.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Louise:** Just me and Brittany over here, huh? I guess this one did seem kind of straightforward, and yet, here we are, unable to find the thing even though it's not that big a building. Maybe we're on the wrong track. That'd be embarrassing.

* * *

Irving and Shadya typed the password into the password-protected door that led to the control room in the bank.

"Can't believe they didn't even change the password!" Irving laughed. "I wonder if Chef would make nachos if we asked."

"I doubt it," Shadya denied as the two entered a short hallway.

"But he _might_," Irving smiled.

"If you want to ask him and risk losing an eye, be my guest," Shadya snorted.

"Losing an eye?! Do ye understand what that means?!" Irving gasped. "I'd have an excuse to wear an eyepatch! It'd be time to fully encapsulate the pirate look!"

"I can break your leg off if you want to go whole hog with it," Shadya remarked.

She opened the door at the end of the hallway, granting access to the control room. Sure enough, several gold ingots were still piled.

"Lesser men would kill each other on the spot upon seeing such riches," Irving chuckled.

"These obviously aren't real. If they were, they wouldn't have put them out here for everyone to see," Shadya reasoned.

"Exactly. The fact that we could figure that much out be what makes us better than lesser men," Irving grinned.

"So you'd kill people if you thought they were real?" Shadya asked.

"Fortunately, we never have to find out," Irving snickered darkly.

"Let's just take one and go," Shadya decided.

She took a gold ingot and the two ran out of the room, just as Bailey, Nolan, and Quentin made it in front of the door.

"Eek!" Bailey jumped.

"Looks like they just took one and left," Nolan noted. "That might bite them in the butt."

"You really think they have real gold hidden in there?" Quentin asked as the three entered the hallway.

"It's what I would do if I was running this challenge," Nolan figured. "Here, how about we have one of us take any old ingot back to Chris and the others, and the other two can look for a real gold one just in case?"

"Quentin's the most athletic of the three of us, yes?" Bailey asked.

"Yeah, I can do it," Quentin agreed. "Just leave it to me!"

The three arrived in the control room, and Quentin took the first ingot he saw.

"If it's wrong, I'll be back. If not, I'll see you guys later!" Quentin called as he ran off.

"Has Cyan spoken with you about her plan?" Bailey asked Nolan.

"I spoke to Louise, who said something about Cyan expanding her influence," Nolan answered as the two began inspecting the remaining ingots.

"Cyan wants a big alliance," Bailey explained. "Her, us, Louise, Frita, and Quentin."

"Louise said she wasn't sure how much she trusted Frita and Quentin. How sure are you that you can trust them?" Nolan asked.

"I don't think they're anyone's first choice in ally, but I think they're more likely to go with it than the others are," Bailey said.

"They trust me, so if I'm in, they very well could be, too," Nolan acknowledged.

"Are you in?" Bailey asked.

"I think this arrangement suits me," Nolan smirked.

"I see us working well together," Bailey said. "And by 'us', I'm referring to you and me."

Nolan rolled his die. "I see us working well together, too,"

Bailey looked at him skeptically but did not press him.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Nolan:** And sure enough, the exact alliance I wanted is falling right into my lap. It feels good to have the people on this team doing what helps me out. Maybe the dice aren't as big of a detriment as I'd thought. Let's see where this goes.

* * *

Cyan, Hugh, and Vladimir all arrived at the clothes warehouse at the same time.

"No time to lose!" Cyan declared before running off.

"Alright, uh... 'Barry'," Hugh side-eyed Cyan, who had already begun looking through bins. "I'll take the back, you take the front."

"Just what are you intending to do?!" Vladimir asked.

"Search the warehouse, what the hell did you think I meant?!" Hugh panicked.

"Well, the way you worded that as you looked at Cyan..." Vladimir trailed off.

"That was to see if she was in earshot or not before I called you 'Vladimir' on accident," Hugh growled. "What the hell do you think of me?"

"I apologize. Anyway, before we split off, I feel there's something we should discuss," Vladimir said.

"Screw that! We have a challenge to win!" Hugh reacted. "Worry about it after we win."

Hugh ran to the back of the warehouse.

"So that is Vladimir. Thought so," Cyan muttered to herself. "The fact that I wasn't sure is impressive, though."

"Thanks," Vladimir smirked wryly.

"Oh!" Cyan gasped as she realized Vladimir was right behind her. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

"I should hope so. The spread of information can be _very _damaging to how people perceive someone in the game," Vladimir smiled.

Cyan gave Vladimir a look. "Why are you always hiding who you really are, anyway?"

"Well, I'm hiding that, too," Vladimir told her. "It'd be best if you didn't try to pursue that any further."

"Okay then," Cyan accepted skeptically.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dalit made it to the laundry room at the motel.

"Alright! Time to find an iron!" Dalit decided.

She opened the washing machine first and looked inside. There was nothing to see.

"...I don't know why I would think it was there," Dalit conceded.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Cyan:** I don't know what Vladimir's deal is. He's probably just making himself out to be a riddle and secretly wants someone to solve him. I'm not really interested, anyway, but there's no need to be so passive-aggressive! Honestly, so orange.

* * *

Frita and Steve Jenkins continued to look through the drawers in Chef's kitchen, while the large man kept throwing whatever he could grab at Ernie.

"How many drawers does one kitchen need?" Steve Jenkins griped. "How many of these does he even _use_?"

"You don't cook often, do you?" Frita surmised.

"I don't really need to. Every day, I have at least ten girls who have made lunch for me out of sheer admiration. You know, because I'm Steve Jenkins," Steve Jenkins claimed. "Those usually get me by."

"What are you, still in high school?" Frita asked.

"No, I'm just that famous and adored," Steve Jenkins boasted. "Shout out to my followers on YouTube. This challenge win is for you guys!"

"Neither of us have found the silver spoon," Frita pointed out.

She looked down to the drawer she had just opened, which only contained two shiny, fancy-looking spoons. She took them both and hid them in her sweater sleeve before closing it.

"Hey, don't think I didn't catch that!" Steve Jenkins accused.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't trying to deceive you!" Frita cried.

"Your silence betrays you. You were thinking long and hard about how you can find my vlog on YouTube," Steve Jenkins deduced. "Well, that's easy. I'm the one and only Steve Jenkins. That's all you need to search for. Why make branding any more difficult than it has to be when people already know who I am?"

"Uh, yeah, thanks for the tip..." Frita trailed off. She ran out of the kitchen.

Ernie took notice of Frita's exeunt before dodging a raw steak.

"Hey! Steve Jenkins! Frita already found the spoon!" Ernie called out, annoyed. "Hurry up!"

"Wait a minute!" Chef turned around and glared at Steve Jenkins. "When the hell did you get in my kitchen?!"

"Well, you see, Steve Jenkins is everywhere, because he is always with you," Steve Jenkins claimed. "In your heart, of course. There's only one of me, so I can't literally be everywhere at once, but- ACK!"

Steve Jenkins was cut off when he was hit in the face by a ball of dough.

"Good grief," Ernie sighed. He made his way to the kitchen.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Ernie:** It's like dealing with the idiocy of David and the self-absorption of Tucker all at once. I think it's safe to say I was one of the smarter people in House Party, and, like, I wasn't sure that would be the case here in All-Stars, but maybe it still is.

* * *

Louise stepped down from the bleachers to look at the wall behind the bleachers. Among a few banners and flags, she was able to see a couple of gold, silver, and bronze medals hung high enough to where it was impossible to reach them.

"Bingo," Louise grinned. "Now, how do I get it off the wall?"

"Shouldn't be too hard," Brittany smiled as she entered the room with a long, thin pole with a small hook at the end.

"What the heck is that?!" Louise asked.

"I don't know. Probably what they used to get those medals all the way up there," Brittany figured.

She hooked one of the bronze medals off of the nail holding it up and let it slide down the pole. Brittany tossed the pole across the room and ran.

"Hey! That's bad sportsmanship!" Louise accused.

"I thought a win you didn't have to compete for was no good!" Brittany called back.

"Damn," Louise conceded. "Maybe I did have that coming."

Louise ran for the pole to retrieve her own bronze medal.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Brittany:** Yeah, that was kind of a rude move, but this is a game, and my team could really use a win over here. It sounds like Bailey's in a good enough position on the Wyverns to where I'm not particularly worried about her going home if they lose.

* * *

Irving and Shadya returned to McLean Park with the gold ingot in hand.

"First back. To nobody's surprise," Shadya nodded.

"Yer gold, Chris," Irving offered.

"You don't have to give it to me, but I appreciate the enthusiasm," Chris chuckled.

"That's one point for the Grand Gryphons," Topher nodded as he made a check on a notepad he'd been holding.

"Good job, guys!" Lindsay encouraged.

"I always do a good job," Shadya brushed off.

"Hence our game-long winning streak so far!" Irving guffawed.

"It's not my fault the rest of the team refuses to try and match up to me," Shadya glared.

Quentin arrived at the scene next with his own gold ingot.

"Does this count?" Quentin asked hopefully.

"Sure does! Point for the Fighting Wyverns!" Topher confirmed as he checked something off his notepad.

"Well, I told Bailey and Nolan I wouldn't go back if that one counted," Quentin figured as he stretched his arms. He took notice of a bird on a tree. "Ooh, a golden-crowned sparrow!"

Brittany and Louise arrived at the park at roughly the same time.

"Bronze medal!" Louise called as she held her medal up high.

"Me too!" Brittany announced as she showcased her own medal.

"And that's those for both teams," Topher nodded as he checked them off on his notepad.

"It's neck and neck!" Lindsay announced.

"What are we still missing?" Brittany asked Irving and Shadya.

"The silver spoon and the iron," Shadya answered. "So it's up to Hugh, Vladimir, Ernie, and Steve Jenkins."

"I see," Brittany nodded.

"Is there a rule saying that we can't go help the others?" Shadya asked Chris.

"He never said there was," Lindsay offered before Chris could answer.

Chris sighed. "Thank you, Lindsay. No, I didn't say that was a rule."

Shadya turned to Brittany and Irving. "I'll head to the diner. You guys head to the clothes warehouse. Brittany, you remember where it is, right?"

"More or less," Brittany confirmed.

"One of us should stay here to hold on to the gold and bronze until someone else gets here," Irving mentioned. "And what better person to hoard our treasure than-"

"Alright, yes, you're a pirate, we get it, you can stay here," Shadya said with a roll of her eyes.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Shadya:** My team should not be so complacent just because I'm on it and _can_ carry the team. The Best Team understood this, and that was also a team full of big egos. If this team is going to be useless to me, then I guess I'll have to step up even more than usual if we're going to win challenges.

* * *

Off in another part of McLean Park, Jean-Marie had approached Joel.

"_Bonjour_, Joel," Jean-Marie greeted.

"Oh hey Jean-Marie how's it going it's been a while five years was it I lost count," Joel responded.

"I feel I must apologize to you for the rude things I'd said toward and about you back in Explore Party," Jean-Marie said.

"Oh that stuff that's all water under the bridge I mean I've definitely heard meaner from people who just spoke in English and knew I could understand them," Joel mentioned. "So hey how are Frita and Brittany doing I haven't gotten to talk to them a whole lot since I last saw them especially Frita."

"Regrettably, I have also been unable to speak with Brittany, on account of us being on different teams," Jean-Marie lamented. "Frita... It's hard to say since I didn't speak with her much back then, but I think she's at least opening up more than she may have previously."

"That's good I always felt kind of bad for her being so down on herself because she's a cool artist and stuff but I also get that the stuff she's into isn't really easy for others to understand so she just kind of isolates herself to keep from getting hurt," Joel acknowledged. "It happens."

"Alas, how the beauty of variety may damn us," Jean-Marie waxed.

"I guess haha," Joel laughed, not really understanding what Jean-Marie said.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kun had sat at the same small table as Kiki.

"What do you want?" Kiki asked.

"To stop constantly, um, fighting with you and targeting each other," Kun answered.

"That's going to be difficult when you constantly disregard and dismiss anything I have to say," Kiki frowned.

"I know, and I don't want to keep doing that," Kun said. "One important part of being a leader that I've, um, forgotten is that it's important to always listen to and understand others. And I feel as though I've failed to understand why we keep fighting."

"I've been very straightforward with you. You're just scared of acknowledging your own shortcomings," Kiki told him.

Kun couldn't close his mouth.

"...Maybe," Kun sighed. "I shouldn't be _having_ shortcomings, though. I'm... I'm a failure."

"Everyone has shortcomings. It's how you work around them that makes you a failure or not," Kiki reasoned. "What are you planning on doing to work around your shortcomings?"

"Well, the first step is to, um, acknowledge them, right?" Kun figured. "I'm not listening enough to others."

"And why is that?" Kiki asked.

"Because you're a woman?" Kun guessed, not really sold on his own answer.

"That's part of it to some extent, but that's not what I was looking for," Kiki told him. "It's because your expectations for yourself are too high. Or perhaps your parents' expectations of you that you're letting get to you."

"Well, I mean, the family company is, um, pretty big," Kun mentioned. "I'll have pretty big shoes to fill."

"But you don't need to be ready for that today," Kiki said. "You're trying too hard to be something you don't need to be, and it's making you lose sight of what you want. Assuming that taking over your family's company is what you really, truly want."

Kun looked to be pondering Kiki's words.

"I'll let you mull it over," Kiki told him. "I'm going to that bench over there to nap. Isolation Park kind of wrecked me."

Kiki stood up and left.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kun:** Well, Kiki's, um, definitely not one to mince words. I guess you need to be ready to be honest with people if you're going to be a therapist. Still, she may be, um, right. I'm losing sight of what's important, and that's something I hope to rectify in the near future. I can't be a good leader if I don't know where I'm leading people to.

* * *

Brittany arrived at the clothes warehouse. Cyan, Hugh, and Vladimir continued looking through the bins, closets, etc.

"Hey, guys. Need any help?" Brittany offered.

"Three sets of eyes are better than two," Vladimir accepted.

"Did you already get your thing?" Hugh asked.

"Yeah. Last I checked, the teams are tied," Brittany relayed. She glanced at Cyan. "Is Cyan the only Wyvern here?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?" Vladimir wondered.

"Louise was the only person they sent to get the bronze medal," Brittany explained. "How in the world are they splitting their team to where only one person is at a location?"

"They're probably just trying to spread out. I don't know," Hugh figured.

"But where else would the iron be?" Brittany asked.

"Where else...?" Vladimir echoed. He smacked his forehead. "Hugh, follow me."

"Huh? Why?" Hugh scoffed.

"Just do it," Vladimir instructed as he ran out.

Hugh looked to Brittany, confused.

"I'm sure you two plus Cyan have searched here thoroughly enough. I'll keep looking here for now, just in case," Brittany offered.

"If you say so," Hugh decided as he ran after Vladimir.

"I wonder if Vladimir's on any kind of right track," Cyan giggled.

"Do you think he could be?" Brittany asked.

"I don't know. He was pretty vague," Cyan said cheekily.

"I see," Brittany tsked.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Hugh:** Look, yeah, it's obvious Vladimir wants to work me over to his side, but what he fails to realize is that making me run across the entire damn city for no reason is going to do no kinds of good making me want to listen to him. Artard.

* * *

Dalit opened a small door to find two clothes irons within among the detergents and other cleaning supplies.

"Aha!" Dalit grinned.

She took one of the irons and shut the door. She ran out of the motel laundry room.

"Alright... which way was the park again?" Dalit asked herself. "Oh! I almost forgot! There's a map in each room!"

Dalit approached her designated motel room and scanned her key card. The light on the card reader turned red.

"What?! This is my room! Why can't it let me in?!" Dalit objected. "Is it because I'm staying at Blaising Tower right now? That's not fair! I need the map!"

Dalit punched her door, which only resulted in her hurting her own fist. She yelped in pain and shook her hand out.

"Well, fine! I'll just find my way back on my own," Dalit grunted.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Dalit:** I will not lose because they didn't tell me I couldn't go to my motel room if I won a challenge! I just won't let that happen!

* * *

Back at McLean Park, Frita had just arrived.

"Hey, Frita!" Quentin acknowledged jovially.

"I took both spoons," Frita mentioned as she revealed both of them from her sleeve. "That should make things a lot harder for the other team."

"Haha. Nice!" Louise encouraged.

"Uh, that's not how that works, brah," Chris informed her.

"Huh?" Frita asked.

"If you bring one back with you, that just counts as the one for your team, but if both items are over here, that means that both teams' items have made it, regardless of how they got here," Chris clarified.

"...Oh," Frita said dejectedly, dropping both spoons.

"Come on, how does that make sense?" Quentin pressed. "The Gryphons had nothing to do with the other spoon getting here."

Irving walked up to one of the silver spoons and picked it up. "Behold! Me silver treasure, on behalf of the Gryphons!"

"It would have been easy to just take both of them before someone from the other team is even aware of where the item is," Chris rationalized. "The challenge wouldn't get anywhere if we didn't count that."

"So if she'd dropped the other spoon in the middle of nowhere, it'd be fine?" Louise asked skeptically.

Frita walked away from the scene, hiding her face with her hands.

"That's not what I said, Louise," Chris said firmly. "The ruling is the ruling."

"We agreed on it before all this, I promise," Lindsay added.

"You probably should have made it clear before the game started," Louise scolded.

"I asked if there were any further questions, and nobody said anything," Chris claimed.

"I'm going to go see if she wants to talk," Quentin offered.

"At any rate, the close race continues!" Topher announced, having checked both teams' progress on his notepad. "Both teams just need to bring back the iron! Who will get here first?"

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Quentin:** I get where Chris and the other hosts are coming from, and I get where Frita's coming from, too. It's just a big unfortunate mess where things weren't as clear as everyone thought they were. I just hope this doesn't discourage Frita further from trying new things.

* * *

"Why, is that somebody I see running towards us in the distance?" Topher asked exaggeratedly.

"It looks like it, yeah," Lindsay informed him.

"And could they be holding the iron they need to bring their team victory?" Topher continued his act.

"Maybe," Lindsay offered.

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"Finally I found my way here!" Dalit expressed. "How come we don't get in to our motels when we're staying at the tower that day? I needed a map!"

Topher took notice of the iron Dalit was holding.

"And that's that!" Topher announced as he checked that off of his list dramatically.

"Alrighty." Chris took a small device from his pocket and began speaking into it. "Attention, contestants!" his voice rang out across various parts of the city. "One team has returned with all four items! Head on back to McLean Park asap!"

"Wait, we won?!" Dalit gasped. "Yes! I won the challenge for us! Me!"

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Jean-Marie:** It was a close call, especially with both spoons Frita brought back counting for both teams, but it's fortunate to keep our winning streak alive. Having to vote someone out tonight would be... messy, to say the least.

**Ernie:** _(He is covered in bruises and food residue)_ This challenge fucking sucked.

* * *

Eventually, everyone made it back to McLean Park.

"Congratulations to the Fighting Wyverns for another well-earned win," Chris grinned. "You guys have Invincibility for tonight."

The Fighting Wyverns clapped and cheered at their victory.

"You guys stick around for the Best/Worst Vote," Topher instructed them.

"The Grand Gryphons, on the other hand... Ouch. Hehaha," Chris laughed. "If you guys will follow me, it's time to head back to Elimination Station."

Bailey gave a bit of a wave to her former teammates as they made their way away.

"Alright, you guys know the drill by now," Topher told the Fighting Wyverns as he and Lindsay handed out pencils and papers to everyone who participated in the challenge. "Who did the best and the worst in the challenge today? Your votes will determine who stays in the penthouse, and who stays in Isolation Park."

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Cyan:** This vote might have been tougher if it didn't take everyone a while to get back to the park. We actually had more time to discuss things than the hosts probably would have liked.

* * *

The votes had been cast and turned in to Lindsay and Topher.

"Alright, this was... a weird one," Topher admitted. "But clear majorities have voted. The winner of the Best vote, with penthouse privileges until the end of the next challenge, is..."

...

...

...

...

...

"Quentin!" Topher announced.

"Oh, wow, really?" Quentin asked, taken aback. "Thanks, guys!"

"You were the first person back, right? It made sense," Cyan said.

"But, the person who took the Worst vote..." Lindsay brought up.

...

...

...

...

...

"Frita, sorry," Lindsay apologized.

"I asked for this. I deserve it," Frita sighed.

"The rule wasn't clear. It's not your fault," Louise told her.

"It's whatever," Frita dismissed.

"I'll take Frita to Isolation Park," Lindsay offered.

"Everyone else, you're dismissed!" Topher told the rest of the Fighting Wyverns.

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Kiki:** Sitting out of this one was probably the right call in light of me being overall exhausted. I'm glad I actually got to have an actual talk with Kun where he listens to me, too. I'll take this night off to rest up so I can deliver double tomorrow!

**Louise:** I'm glad we won, even despite the rules mix-up. Losing a challenge and potentially being voted out because of a technicality would have sucked for anyone. Games are no fun if something comes out of nowhere that there's nothing you can do about. That's why I never play Mario Party with Elmer or his friends.

* * *

**Votes:**

**Best:**

Quentin - Bailey, Cyan, Frita

Frita - Louise, Quentin

Dalit - Dalit

Louise - Nolan

**Worst:**

Frita - Bailey, Cyan, Dalit, Frita

Quentin - Louise, Quentin

Bailey - Nolan

* * *

The Grand Gryphons had arrived at Elimination Station and had taken their spots at their respective lecterns.

"Welcome back to elimination, Grand Gryphons!" Chris proclaimed. "In case you've forgotten, you guys will have thirty minutes, or until everyone casts their votes, to deliberate amongst yourselves and decide who you guys will be booting off of your team and out of the game."

"Rad. Neato. Keen, even," Hugh remarked.

"Isn't it exciting? Hehaha," Chris chuckled.

"Every day has the opportunity to be exciting if ye let it be!" Irving declared.

"Yeah, which is why that podium over there is empty," Steve Jenkins accused as he pointed to the lectern where Isidora used to stand.

"Exactly! Glad ye understand," Irving laughed.

"And that's why you'll be going home tonight, Irving," Shadya said.

"Whaaaaaat?!" Irving roared overdramatically. "How could ye do this to me?!"

"It's heart-rending for us all, believe you me," Ernie droned.

"Well, not much that can be done about that," Irving shrugged. "'Twas nice knowing ye all!"

"Are we actually going to discuss anything, or have we already decided on everything by now?" Brittany asked.

"Didn't ye hear? I be going home," Irving sneered.

Shadya cast her vote. "I'm glad you've come to terms with it."

"All joking aside, I can't imagine you aren't comfortable with your position right now, Irving," Vladimir pointed out. "Believe me, I can tell if someone is playing it cool in the face of nervousness. You aren't nervous."

"Of course not! I be the Dread Pirate Irving! I've fought krakens, ye know!" Irving declared.

"Why, I wonder, is Irving feeling secure that he has a majority?" Vladimir mentioned. "Brittany and Hugh are givens, but who else could potentially be on Irving's side?"

"You hear that, Brittany? We are just extensions of Irving after all," Hugh remarked.

"Finally my life goal is complete," Brittany quipped.

"Who be a part of me loyal crew be for me to know and for ye to find out," Irving claimed.

"Don't pretend like your alliance hasn't been insultingly transparent," Shadya chastised. "Don't pretend like the lines haven't been very clearly drawn already."

"Shadya, if that were the case, then Irving would be a lot more nervous than he is right now," Vladimir stated.

"You sure you aren't just, like, overthinking it?" Ernie asked. "I'm not going to put too much stock into how Irving reacts to things. Being blasé is, like, this thing."

"Unless that's what ye want us to think," Irving snickered.

"What does that even mean?" Ernie asked.

"Exactly!" Irving accused.

...

"Well, I, for one, see no value in keeping around someone who's so aggressively impossible to work with, ya know?" Ernie mentioned.

He cast his vote.

Hugh glanced at Steve Jenkins. Steve Jenkins raised his eyebrows.

"Well, if we're going to be transparent, then fine," Hugh began. "Ernie, you've made no attempt to make me feel like I can trust you. And I'm not the only one who thinks so."

"Why the hell should I trust you: known backstabber?" Ernie scoffed.

"Everyone on this team is a backstabber. Don't act like your hands are clean," Brittany accused.

"I don't need to backstab people. Leave me out of your desperate attempts at gameplay," Shadya claimed.

"I have never stabbed a back in my life," Steve Jenkins said. "I'm Steve Jenkins, beloved by all. Such dirty gameplay is beneath me."

Brittany cast her vote. "Ernie actually did attempt to convince me that I could trust him, and he couldn't even pull that off."

"Look, if you want to, like, stay on a sinking ship of an alliance that will throw you to the wolves the instant it benefits them, be my guest," Ernie scoffed.

"And if you want to keep completely ignoring social game and keep acting like you're better than everyone else, be _my_ guest," Brittany shot back.

"Yeah, leave that to the professionals," Steve Jenkins added.

"You're supposed to be on my side!" Ernie reacted.

Irving cast his vote. "Me crew always be open to accepting new members. Keep that in mind, won't ye, before ye cast your vote."

"Joining your crew won't matter if it means you're on the bottom," Shadya claimed. "Even if you do vote Ernie out, all you're doing is putting yourself on the bottom of a pre-existing alliance instead of sticking to the one you're already a part of."

Vladimir knocked twice on his lectern before casting his vote. "I've already made my intentions clear."

Hugh and Steve Jenkins shared a look. Steve Jenkins cast his vote, and then Hugh cast his.

"Alright, the votes are in!" Chris announced. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I'll read the votes off one by one. The person with the most votes against them will ride the Shackle of Shame out of here and leave the game for good! Hehaha."

The Grand Gryphons looked at each other tensely.

"First vote... Ernie!" Chris read.

Ernie yawned.

"Second vote... Irving!" Chris continued.

Irving tried to force himself to yawn, but nothing came out.

"Third vote... Ernie!"

Ernie cracked his neck.

"Fourth vote... Irving!"

Irving mustered a yawn. "Haha! Got it!"

"Fifth vote... and the sixth and seventh..." Chris trailed off.

Ernie and Irving both looked concerned at this notion.

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"Ernie!" Chris announced.

"Oh my gooooooooood!" Ernie groaned. "You guys are literally just letting Irving run this game!"

"Steve Jenkins works in mysterious ways," Steve Jenkins claimed. "No hard feelings."

"You don't get to just claim that there's no hard feelings," Ernie scowled. "This was a colossally stupid move, just like voting out Isidora before me."

"Hey, I had nothing to do with that!" Steve Jenkins insisted. "You're the one who split your vote by voting for... who was it again? Oh yeah, me!"

"You voted for Brittany. Don't fucking at me," Ernie shot back.

"I don't want to hear any excuses from anyone about finding better options to work with, here," Shadya growled. "That is simply not possible."

"Any more final words to Ernie before he gets yanked on out of here?" Chris asked.

Vladimir cleared his throat. "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding others, but rather delights in airing his own opinions. Proverbs 18:2."

"I know you did not just condescendingly quote the damn Bible at me," Ernie glowered.

"I did a lot of research. I was waiting for a chance to break that one out," Vladimir claimed.

"Well, _understand _that I'm pissed off at you in particular. I thought we were good," Ernie scoffed.

"I'll explain everything later. Hopefully much, much later," Vladimir told him.

The ceiling opened up, and the Shackle of Shame descended and grabbed Ernie around the waist. The law student gasped in initial surprise before being lifted off his feet and back above ground. Once Ernie was gone, the ceiling shut once again.

"Games like this were hailed as social experiments in the past. I wonder when exactly it was that people forgot about that," Chris commented. "Anyway, that's all I have for you guys. You can head back to the elevator and back to the motel. I'll see you guys later!"

* * *

**Confessional:**

**Vladimir:** The problem with Irving's alliance with Brittany and Hugh is that it's too obvious, too out in the open. That's why it benefits Hugh to form a new alliance with me and Steve Jenkins. I don't predict anyone seeing it coming. We may or may not have prepared a signal before the vote: one knock for Irving, two for Ernie. Sorry, Ernie, I did trust you to be loyal, but you're just not somebody who I feel can help me in the long term.

**Shadya:** This season is a test of patience the likes of which I didn't think was possible. It's everything I can do to not just kick everyone's ass on my team right now. What the hell is happening that I'm missing to where they're just going to not vote Irving out despite multiple opportunities to do so?! I need to talk to Steve Jenkins and Vladimir immediately.

* * *

Chris, Topher, and Lindsay all stood outside the limits of Drama City.

"Man, the Grand Gryphons are really falling in numbers, huh?" Topher laughed.

"I've been in that situation before. It's no fun," Lindsay frowned. "I hope they're doing okay."

"Eh, they'll be fine," Chris claimed. "They're big, established players. They've learned from the school of hard knocks before."

"Has Steve Jenkins learned from any school?" Topher snickered.

"Hey, that's mean!" Lindsay objected.

"If Chris won't be mean anymore, then someone has to be," Topher claimed.

"I'll be mean to you if you don't settle down," Chris threatened. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, another player has fallen victim to the vote, and the game's only going to get tougher from here. How will the dynamics of the Grand Gryphons shift in light of Ernie's elimination? Will the pushes to change the dynamics of the Fighting Wyverns bear fruit? And who will be the next person to get hoisted by the Shackle of Shame? Find out, next time on-"

"Next episode is an Aftermath, Chris," Topher interrupted.

"It is?" Chris asked.

"Yep. Every four eliminations, they're doing an Aftermath, remember?" Topher reminded him.

"That does sound right," Lindsay nodded.

"Well, alright, an Aftermath episode," Chris acknowledged. "But after that! Alliances, arguments, and alliteration, oh my! On Total!"

"Drama!" Topher and Lindsay continued.

"Party with the Stars!" the three finished in unison.

* * *

**Votes:**

Brittany - Ernie

Ernie - Irving

Hugh - Ernie

Irving - Ernie

Shadya - Irving

Steve Jenkins - Ernie

Vladimir - Ernie

* * *

**Grand Gryphons:**

Brittany - The Loyal Bombshell

Hugh - The Head Villain

Irving - The Chaotic Pirate

Shadya - The Genius Athlete

Steve Jenkins - The Vlog Icon

Vladimir - The Untrustworthy Impostor

_17th: Ernie - The Lazy Law Student_

_19th: Isidora - The Asocial Bookworm_

_20th: Lilith - The Harbinger of Unrest_

**Fighting Wyverns:**

Bailey - The Pragmatic Poet

Cyan - The Sweet Madame Blue

Dalit - The Social Media Model

Frita - The Morbid Artist

Jean-Marie - The Homeless Frenchman

Kiki - The Strategic Hipster

Kun - The Awkward Team Leader

Louise - The Friendly PE Teacher

Nolan - The Wildcard Gambler

Quentin - The Lucky Ornithologist

_18th: Joseph - The True Bro_

* * *

_A/N: Kind of an obvious boot? Maybe, but to be perfectly frank, Ernie was never going to make it far to begin with. I actually had him in mind as the first boot initially, but I figured that having an established potential threat go home first is something I did in my last two seasons, so I bumped Lilith down from second boot to first. The main reason Ernie stuck around as long as he did is because I found it easier to establish dynamics and relationships between him and other characters compared to characters like Isidora and Joseph who I also didn't really have long-term plans for._

_Ernie is a character who only could have made it far in a season like House Party, where most of the cast barely counted as any kind of threat. In an all-stars season, he was always going to get overshadowed by bigger, more competent players from both teams, so I figured that he'd be perfect as an early boot who realistically would qualify as an all-star but would shoot himself in the foot in spite of his efforts. What did you guys think of Ernie this go around?_

_Also! Next episode is indeed an Aftermath. If you have viewer questions you'd want to ask the four eliminated players (Lilith, Isidora, Joseph, and/or Ernie), let me know! I just might include them in the episode._


	10. Ep 09: Aftermath I

An exciting rock tune played and the crowd cheered as two spotlights shone down, illuminating only a love seat upon an elevated stage. A young man swaggered into the spotlight, wearing a green tuxedo and a proud smile on his face. He waved to the audience as he was joined by a second young man, this one shorter and looking far less excited, wearing a purple tuxedo.

The two took their seats upon the couch as the music faded out and the rest of the stage lights slid on.

"Helloooooo, everybodyyyyyy!" the man in green began. "And welcome... to the Total Drama Party with the Stars Aftermath show!"

He paused to allow more cheering, which occurred, albeit not as saturated as before.

"It's going to be... well, it's going to be something, I think I can say at least that for certain," the man in purple mentioned.

"Everything is something," the man in green claimed.

"Exactly. This way nobody can claim I'm lying," the man in purple explained. "It's called damning by faint praise."

"Well, you and I are people who need no introduction, as we've had more than our share of faint praise," the man in green grinned.

"What? No, 'faint praise' is-" the man in purple began.

"I'm the one and only, Lester Jay!" the man in green, Lester, introduced. "And I'm joined here by my player two of the Aftermath show. You know him, you love him, River Casentini!"

"For those who, for whatever reason, started watching with an All-Stars season, Lester and I are also veterans of this waking nightmare known as Total Drama," River explained. "Thankfully, we get to sit back and laugh at everyone who decided that playing a second time was a valuable use of their time."

"Says the guy who accepted a job on Total Drama at all," Lester chuckled. "Something you'd only do if you thought it was a valuable use of your time."

"And how's your Let's Play channel going?" River snipped. "Or did your Twitter cancelation actually kill your viewership?"

"Look, we've all made dumb offensive jokes in the past, none of that is here nor there," Lester said flatly.

"Are you guys going to acknowledge us, or is your lovers' quarrel going to have one thing lead to another?" a pale girl grunted from a nearby set of couches, which housed several other young adults.

"Ah, yes, thanks for the save, Erica," Lester acknowledged. "Yes, for our Aftermath show, we've invited as many former players from the Party era of Total Drama as we could to weigh in with their thoughts."

"Obviously, that's a lot of people, so for the sake of each show, we're only inviting people who were at least vaguely associated with whoever was just eliminated to that particular Aftermath," River explained. "Some people were bigger stretches than others, but we did what we could, here."

"From Total Drama House Party, say hello to Erica, David, and Tucker!" Lester introduced. "All former allies of Ernie's."

"What's up, everyone?!" David shouted.

"The volume of your voice," Erica complained as she picked her ear.

"Yeah, Tucker missed you guys, too," Tucker commented dryly.

"Total Drama Alpha Party had a pretty big cast, so to see Isidora, we have Warwick, Phoenix, Osric, Ursula, Vardaman, and Ronoc," River added.

Phoenix coughed as he looked at Ronoc, who was smoking a cigar. "Is that really necessary?"

"Always," Ronoc responded.

"Even if you don't inhale the smoke, you're still at risk for mouth cancer," Vardaman warned.

"I told you," Ursula mentioned to Osric.

"Look, smoking is hot, but so are a lot of other things you do for me," Osric chuckled. "I'll live without that particular box checked."

"Glad to see that the more things change, the more they stay the same," Warwick said as he twirled his mustache.

"And sadly, we lost two of our Virtual Party reps already!" Lester lamented. "So to see Lilith and Joseph, we've got Jynxie, Wanda and Zelda, and Dunstan and Felix!"

"What do we have to do with Lilith?" Zelda asked Wanda.

"You three all helped me in the finale, obviously. Hahaha!" Jynxie laughed.

"That, or we didn't really fit anyone else any better," Wanda shrugged.

"At least it's obvious that we fit our bro, huh?" Felix asked Dunstan.

"Undoubtedly!" Dunstan agreed. "A shame he left so soon!"

"It's good to see you guys!" Lester told the peanut gallery. "A lot's changed over the years."

"That does tend to happen as people age," River chimed in.

"Who wants to give us any big updates on their lives before we get into the All-Stars?" Lester offered. "Felix, I see you're fully clothed."

"And the world thanks you for it!" Dunstan added.

"I still live a natural lifestyle. At least at home," Felix explained. "Ever since Cosette and I moved in together, she's helped me feel more comfortable wearing clothes in public, and I've helped her feel more comfortable feeling free in private. It's a pretty great arrangement if I do say so myself."

"Speaking of couples who met on the show, it seems like Osric and Ursula are still going strong," Lester segued.

"Freaks of a feather flock together," Ursula grinned. "That's the whole premise of _The Birds_."

"Neither of us is at a point where we're ready to live together, but maybe someday..." Osric added.

"Before anyone asks, because people always do, no, David is not involved with my mom," Erica informed everyone.

"Wasn't going to ask, but thanks for the tip," River responded.

"Honestly, I'm flattered that people even think that _could_ happen," David chuckled.

"I was actually going to ask about the rumors involving Tucker," Lester mentioned.

"Oh boy, that could go in all sorts of directions," Tucker winced.

"Is it true you're really dating Amelie, runner up of Alpha Party?" Lester asked.

"Oh, that? That's for her to disclose at her own discretion," Tucker half-answered.

"So basically 'yes'," Zelda reasoned out.

"More importantly, how on Earth did that end up happening?!" Warwick questioned.

"Like Tucker said, it's for her to disclose at her own discretion," Tucker shrugged.

"Dare I ask what you thought he was going to bring up?" Phoenix asked.

"People who have only seen Tucker on this show have a bad impression of him," Tucker said. "Understandably so, but even after Tucker and Lauren started our charity, some people can look past that and focus on what happened on the show. But this isn't about Tucker."

"That's right, it isn't!" Lester attested. "And that's why I think it's time to bring in our first guest already!"

"You sure? I'm in no rush," River groused.

"But what _was_ in a rush..." Lester began. "Uh, the, uh, her team. To vote her out!"

"You should teach a course on public speaking," River remarked.

"You should teach a course on making friends," Lester clapped back. "Anyway, after spending her last season slipping by people's radars despite her desire to sow discord amongst everyone, she was brought back for another chance to cause unrest. Sadly, nobody really seemed to be putting up with it this time around, and she became the first victim of our illustrious new season. Everyone put your hands together for Lilith Acerola!"

Scattered applause sounded throughout the auditorium as Lilith entered from the side of the stage opposite where the peanut gallery was sitting. She took a seat on an empty couch near Lester and River.

"Mweeheehee. Hello, people who weren't relevant enough to come back to actually play," Lilith waved.

"Yeah, I don't know if I could have stomached playing with this cast," River refuted. "It was hard enough dealing with the mostly laidback Explore Party cast. These tryhards? I'm glad I passed on playing this time."

"Aw, but River you get to deal with me nooooow~" Lilith winked.

"Lilith was robbed!" Jynxie called out.

"Was she?" Zelda doubted.

"I liked her," Ursula snickered.

"Now, Lilith," Lester began. "It seems like you went into this season with mostly the same strategy as last time, if not playing a bit harder out of the gate. Care to shed a little insight on your game plan? What was your win condition?"

"Win condition? I knew I was never going to win," Lilith giggled. "I only wanted to stay around to spread unrest to the others. As long as I could do that, then it would be worth it... and then the unrest hit me! Mweeheeheeheehee... Isn't life ironic?"

"Don'tcha think?" Ronoc added.

"Has anyone ever told you how hilarious you are?" Erica sneered.

"I try," Ronoc smirked.

"But what's with the obsession with unrest?" River asked. "You keep saying something about people being ghosts when they die, but nobody here is close to dying."

"People can die at the most inopportune times, you know," Lilith chuckled. "Remember how Kobe Bryant and his family died in that helicopter crash? Mweeheeheehee... It could happen to you, too!"

This was met with boos from the crowd and a few of the peanut gallery.

"Yes, yes, keep booing, _please_~" Lilith moaned.

"Yeah, that's another thing, do you just have a humiliation fetish, or do you genuinely believe in the importance of unrest turning you into a ghost on the off chance you die suddenly?" River continued.

"Of course I believe in the importance of becoming a ghost," Lilith said solemnly. "Do you really think I'd be lying to you this whole time?"

"Long-term lies are one of the most powerful ways to upset someone," Lester mentioned.

"Hm, that's true..." Lilith realized.

"Don't give her ideas," River scolded.

"Hey, you're a doctor, right? Do you know what's wrong with her?" David asked Vardaman.

"I ain't that kind of doctor," Vardaman explained.

"If I had to guess, she just wants attention," Phoenix claimed. "Wanting attention is the crux of a lot more human action than one may realize."

"Is it why you just explained that to us?" Jynxie snickered.

"There is nothing wrong with educating people about something interesting!" Dunstan claimed.

"That actually leads to our first viewer question!" Lester announced.

"Viewers? How does that work?" Osric asked.

"While, at the time of this recording, the show hasn't been edited or aired yet, we have a few VIP fans who have had access to a live feed of the show's important moments," Lester explained. "And some of them have provided questions for our ousted players."

"How interesting," Warwick commented.

"This one comes from TheGreatTactician," Lester read from a cue card. "They want to know: 'Does Lilith even have any friends? How the fuck does she even afford to live? Genuinely, how does a person like that function?' Very to-the-point, there."

"I like this person. They're speaking my language," River snickered.

"Of course I have friends. I'm not River," Lilith giggled.

"Hey!" River objected.

"I'm not the only one who sees value in spreading unrest to all I can," Lilith said. "I'm one of only two people in the group who believes in ghosts, sadly, but my friends still at least understand me. My parents pay for my college arrangements, so I don't have to worry about any of those expenses. All the money they're dumping and wasting on poor, pathetic me..." She mewled.

"Dare I ask what you're studying?" River asked.

"Occult studies," Lilith answered.

"Yeah, I don't know what else I expected, that's on me," River admitted.

"And for that last question... Whoever I said I was functioning? Mweeheeheeheehee!" Lilith giggled.

"That's pretty badass," David grinned.

"Dude, where were you during my season?" Jynxie asked David.

"Already in my 20s. I couldn't have been in VP if I tried," David tsked.

"One last question, Lilith, and this is one we're asking to all four of our guests tonight," Lester continued. "Our VIP fans asked this a lot, so here goes: Who do you want to win, and who do you want to see leave next?"

"I appreciate Nolan's complete disregard for anyone but himself in how he plays," Lilith answered. "He's going to upset looooooots of people if he sticks around, so I hope he wins. For who I want to see go next, Quentin is sooooo boring, always trying to stay positive and friendly. That's not what Total Drama is _for_! If he doesn't end up cracking under the pressure, I hope he just _leaves_!"

"There's nothing wrong with staying positive and friendly when things get rough!" Wanda claimed. "It worked like a charm for me, I'd say."

"It didn't work well enough for you to be invited back," Lilith smiled.

"Should I tell her?" Wanda whispered to Zelda.

"Don't embarrass me," Zelda told her bluntly.

"That wasn't necessary," Vardaman frowned.

"Wanda was asked back but didn't accept out of respect for Zelda not being asked back," Ronoc whispered to him.

"That ain't nobody's business but theirs," Vardaman reprimanded.

Ronoc just took a puff of his cigar uncaringly.

"Why don't we bring out our next guest?" Lester suggested.

"Might as well. I'm not getting any younger," River figured.

"Every second that passes brings us all one second closer to death," Lilith informed.

"Our next guest was one of the big fan favorites of her original season," Lester built up. "Thanks to her dry wit and shrewd gameplay, she established herself as a sleeper threat who was able to make the right connections and sway the votes in ways that benefited her, all despite her anemia and introverted disposition. This time around, though, her team caught on to her skills early on, and, after a chaotic elimination ceremony, she suddenly found the votes being turned against her. Give it up for Isidora Foshee!"

The crowd erupted into cheers as Isidora made her way onto the stage. She sat on the opposite end of the guest sofa from Lilith.

"I don't bite," Lilith purred.

"I think I'd prefer it if that was all you did," Isidora told her.

"I see..." Osric chuckled.

Ursula smacked him on the arm.

"Come on, it was right there, I wasn't just going to not comment on it," Osric insisted.

"It was kind of low-hanging fruit," Tucker told him.

"Imagine _Tucker_ of all people accusing you of grabbing low-hanging fruit," Erica snickered.

"Anyway," Isidora interrupted.

"Yes, back to the interviews!" Lester agreed. "You'd mentioned in confessionals that your goal was to stay mostly under-the-radar at the start, and only make big moves when absolutely necessary. Do you think you were able to pull that off, if even a little?"

"My biggest regret in this game will always be dignifying Steve Jenkins," Isidora claimed. "Not only because he's annoying as sin, but because pretending like I was working with him was what led to my 'working with everyone' perception that I really should have tried harder to avoid. I made a whole deal to Ernie to not underestimate people, and then I went and did just that anyway. It doesn't feel good."

"People's perceptions of you can be your strongest tool or your biggest burden," Phoenix commented.

"I'll say," Felix agreed awkwardly.

"Like I said when I was voted out, I don't think there was much I could have done differently," Isidora continued. "People just suddenly decided I was a huge threat, never mind the fact that the likes of Shadya and Vladimir are still in the game, not to mention Irving and Brittany."

"Is there anyone in particular you're mad at, or blame for your elimination?" River asked.

"I feel like, for someone who was supposedly in my corner, Vladimir put more heat on me than was necessary," Isidora accused. "I know he was a target, too, but moving everyone's eyes on me wasn't the only, or probably even the best way to save himself. Not that I ever trusted him much to begin with, but still, Vladimir's gameplay is confusing me. Bailey and Brittany, too, were supposed to be on my side as well as Shadya's and Ernie's, and, well, look how that turned out."

"It's almost like this game encourages stabbing people in the back for your own personal gain," Zelda scowled as she glanced at Jynxie.

"It's definitely worked well for some people," Osric contributed.

"I was able to win without backstabbing anyone," David claimed.

"Tucker? Ernie? Kiki?" Erica reminded him.

"I do not believe you need to be dishonest in order to win, but even I have to admit that it does help!" Dunstan conceded.

"We'll just see how well it works out for everyone involved," Isidora decided. "There's still a lot of game left to play."

"Next question," Lester segued. "It's been mentioned before that you consider both your anemia and your introversion as your biggest obstacles when it comes to Total Drama. Which do you consider to be the bigger mountain to overcome?"

"My lack of people skills, for sure," Isidora answered. "You could be completely useless at all other aspects of the game, but as long as people like you, they'll be a lot less inclined to vote you out. I'm not going to name names, but this has been proven with concrete examples. My anemia being a factor in my challenge performance has also been an issue for me in this game; I still think I could have won Alpha Party if I had Invincibility at final five. But a lot of what the game boils down to is getting people to not want to vote you out. And I wasn't able to accomplish that, while more charismatic players like Irving and Brittany have proven able to do so."

"I don't know. Most of Explore Party's cast didn't like me, and somehow I made it to the final two," River mentioned.

"Obviously nothing is universal in Total Drama, but you asked me about my experience with it, so I gave you an answer that pertains to my experience with it," Isidora added.

"You can't really argue with that," Warwick chortled.

"If anything, I'd say River is an exception to the rule," Ronoc added.

"I usually am, for better or worse," River claimed.

"What does that even mean?" Lester asked.

"I don't know. Viewer question," River dodged.

"Ah, yes, the viewer question!" Lester recalled as he fished a cue card from his jacket. "This one comes from DrMonkeyman. They ask of Isidora: 'Are her and Warwick still good friends? And if so, what's he up to now?'"

"That sounds more like a question for Warwick than for me," Isidora commented. She looked to Warwick over in the peanut gallery. "It always comes back to you and me, doesn't it?"

"I've told you before, you've inspired me to make a better man of myself," Warwick acknowledged.

"Not to mention my brother. I guess she just has that effect on people," Vardaman chuckled.

"Not sure how, but I'll take it," Isidora figured. "Anyway, yes, I think I mentioned this in confessionals a few times, but they might not have seen those. Warwick and I are still pretty close friends. I think we actually talk to each other just about every day, which isn't something I could ever have said about a lot of people."

"As for what I'm up to now, I've taken to writing novels for elementary school kids!" Warwick revealed. "Those of you with young students may have heard of my 'Kingdom of Kwicraw' series. It's sold a few copies."

"And only a few; let's not pretend, here," Isidora smirked.

"It's got a cult following, that's all it is!" Warwick insisted.

Lilith giggled at the discourse.

"I'm pretty sure I've seen those on Cassius's bookshelf, now that you mention it," Vardaman commented.

"Yes, your brother and his wife are usually among the first to buy a new book upon release," Warwick confirmed.

"I'm happy to support a friend, and, if Cash and I ever decide to have kids, those books will be good to have around," Isidora smiled.

"Not going to lie, chief, that's kind of beautiful," Lester choked up.

"I am weeping tears of joy on the inside as well," River claimed nonchalantly. "Anyway, for the obligatory final question, Isidora, who are you rooting for to win, and who do you want to be the next to go?"

"I mean, I would have said I wanted Ernie to win, but..." Isidora shook her head. "Out of who's left, I'd say Shadya was the person I was closest to, in spite of everything. I'd like to see her pull something off. As for who I want to go next, that's a bit tougher, because I'm not a huge fan of... pretty much every Gryphon left besides Shadya. And that includes Bailey, for backstabbing me for no reason. Hugh and I have a little history, and the longer he lasts, the more embarrassing it is for me, so if I had to pick one person I want to go next, it's Hugh."

"Hugh is a punk, but he's proven that he knows how to make it pretty far," Phoenix thought aloud.

"It wouldn't be the last time we'd see one of those," Dunstan remarked.

"You still won, you've got nothing to complain about!" Jynxie accused.

"My time in Virtual Party would have been vastly preferable without you in it," Dunstan claimed.

"You loved every second of it and you know it," Jynxie asserted.

"You cannot gaslight me, Kacey!" Dunstan accused.

"Aw, I'm so glad to see them back together," Wanda swooned.

"Did they ever...?" Osric whispered to Felix.

"Not to my knowledge," Felix answered.

"Speaking of Virtual Party shenanigans, our third guest also hails from that illustrious season!" Lester spoke up. "Living strongly by the bro code, he sought to play an honest and laidback game, but quickly discovered that anything can be going on behind your back when people he thought he could trust voted out his ally, and then him. This season, he joined up with a strong alliance on his team right out of the gate, but his powerful tension with a key member of his team, combined with some bad luck, meant another surprise led to another elimination. What does he think about everything that's going on? Let's find out! Here's Joseph Agolli!"

Joseph made his way on stage, met with cheers and boos from the crowd, and sat on the sofa behind Lilith and Isidora.

"Damn, that's quite the reaction to someone who went home so early," Joseph said.

"You get used to it," Zelda commented.

"It feels like people weren't booing me last time, but then again, I didn't meet a lot of fans in person," Joseph mentioned.

"You also didn't have a gender-relations-fueled rivalry with another contestant last time," Ronoc pointed out. "I'm not going to say it didn't make sense for it to happen here, but it divided people on you, to say the least."

"Look, bro, I never had anything against Kiki until she started accusing me of being something I'm not," Joseph said seriously.

"That leads us to question one," Lester picked up. "Obviously, you and Kiki didn't get along swimmingly during your time in the game. Is there anything you wish you had done differently in regards to your relationship with Kiki?"

"I don't know, bro," Joseph sighed. "I was just minding my own business when I think Louise told me that Kiki had it out for me because I follow the bro code or something, then Kun tells me that she just left the alliance we were in together. I tried talking to her, and then she starts accusing _me_ of being sexist when she's the one who abandoned her bros to form an all-girls alliance to make a statement or whatever. I don't even have anything against all-girls anything, but it's like, she did it solely to spite me or something. I ignored her once I realized that we just weren't going to get along and she didn't want to try and fix that. I don't know what else I could have done."

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe you are, in fact, sexist?" Erica asked.

"_How_?" Joseph disbelieved. "Straight-up, Cyan and Louise were my best friends in the game. I don't think less of women inherently. Just if they're being hoes. It's the same as with people who aren't women."

"Calling people 'bros' and 'hoes' isn't making a good case," Ursula mentioned. "Why do you insist on that?"

"I mean... that's kind of real talk," Joseph admitted.

"This question was going to happen anyway," River chimed in.

"You sure you want to ask this one?" Lester made sure.

"Might as well," River figured. "You mentioned something about a bad ex-girlfriend and how Kiki reminds you of her. Any further insight on that?"

"Yeah, that's the real talk," Joseph sighed. "I think I compared Lilith to her, too, in the past, but yeah, my ex Maddie..."

"Awwwwwww, you think about me," Lilith cooed.

"That! That right there!" Joseph accused. "Accusing me of saying something I'm not, trying to emotionally manipulate me to get her own way, gaslighting me, making me apologize for things she started, making me out to be a piece of shit, so I feel like a piece of shit, and..." Joseph took a deep breath. "It was straight-up abusive, which took me years to realize. My bros were the only ones who really understood where I was coming from when I tried talking to people about it. That's when we swore to abide by the bro code, to make sure bros never have to deal with hoes alone again."

"This all sounds like Lauren from my season, so I feel you," David shuddered.

"Okay, Lilith, I get, but Kiki's got her own baggage with the opposite sex, too, you know. It's not like she was out to get you for no reason," Zelda pointed out.

"It sure felt like it. I wanted to be bros with her, I really did, but she clearly didn't want to be bros, and it showed," Joseph frowned.

"Sometimes, you just have to let sleeping dogs lie," Tucker proposed.

"Kiki wasn't a sleeping dog, though! She was actively targeting me!" Joseph cried. "And then I did just leave her alone once I realized she wanted nothing to do with me!"

"Let's move on to a more lighthearted topic, shall we?" Lester suggested. "You got along with Jayne pretty well when you were still in the game. Obviously, people suspect there's something there between you two, but you've claimed otherwise. Do you think there's any chance of something more happening?"

"Oh, Jayne?" Joseph acknowledged. "They're cool as hell, but I just see them as a sibling. I guess nothing's impossible, but I'm not in any rush to change things between us. I'm not really looking for a relationship right now, anyway. I've got to focus on number one, first and foremost. Live my life for the sake of my own happiness. Because everyone deserves to be happy with themselves and their life."

"An excellent mindset!" Warwick agreed.

"Wait a minute, Jayne the robot?" Isidora asked in disbelief. "That's something I missed completely."

"Haven't you been watching the live feeds?" Wanda asked. "Those two are adorable together!"

"Honestly? I'm too annoyed with this game to be watching the people who screwed me over succeeding even more," Isidora refused. "It's actually driven me to socialize with some of the others staying here."

"Oh hey, that's true, I do still get to hang out with all the bros over in this area," Joseph approved. "Who needs the game when we've got each other!"

"Don't get too happy just yet. We've still got a viewer question for you," River snickered as he held a cue card where people could see it. "Nobody245 asks Joseph: 'Are you more angry at Kiki for her overall treatment of you while on the show, or Nolan who voted you out on a whim and convincing others to follow his lead?'"

"Oh, Kiki, easily," Joseph answered. "I mean, no cap, Nolan picking targets at random is still really stupid in my opinion. I kind of disregarded it early on, because I didn't think it was actually going to matter, but I guess the planets aligned in a way that specifically screwed me over. That sucks. But he wasn't being malicious, he's just trying to do something different with the game because he thinks it's cool. I can respect that at least a little. I have a much harder time forgiving Kiki when I never did anything to her and she still just went all-in on me, on purpose."

"Differences in ideology can be a killer," Felix counseled.

"They can be fine. They can be a good thing, even," Ronoc claimed. "The thing to remember is that nobody wants their mind changed and that nobody takes well to being told they're wrong."

"Nobody asked for your pretentious philosophy, nerd!" Jynxie reprimanded. She smacked Ronoc on the back of the head.

"See, I didn't take well to that, and now Jynxie won't have any more lines in this chapter," Ronoc scowled.

"How are you going to enforce that?" Warwick doubted.

"It is a mystery," Ronoc said cryptically.

"Last question for Joseph," Lester segued. "Who are you rooting for to win this game, and who do you want to see go home next?"

"Oh, that's easy. I want Cyan or Louise to win, and Kiki to go home next," Joseph relayed. "If I'm only allowed to pick one person to win, I'll pick Louise. I feel like she and I had a lot in common, so she was one hell of a bro. Cyan was too, of course, but if I have to pick one..."

"Mweeheehee... It's interesting to know how much more you value one friend over the other," Lilith claimed. "If their lives were on the line, and you could only save one..."

"Shut up. Shut up!" Joseph shouted.

"Just ignore her, man," Felix attempted.

"You can't ignore me, Joseph," Lilith told him. "No matter what, I'll aaaaaaalways be there for you. There's _nothing_ you can do."

Joseph stood up and left the scene in a rage.

"This is exactly why you were voted out first," Isidora told Lilith.

"I know," Lilith smiled sweetly.

"Let's get our last guest out for an interview," Lester suggested. "Considered by some to be the original big villain of the Party era of Total Drama, he's proven his ability to finesse his way through the game by doing what he can to keep things in his own control, falling just short when he was deemed too big a threat to stick around. And in a season full of stars, on a team full of big players, control was even harder to come by, despite his efforts to maintain it, and two of the people he was relying on the most ended up cutting him loose. Give it up for Ernie Henderson!"

Scattered applause followed as Ernie arrived at the stage, opting to sit on the sofa behind Lilith and Isidora.

"Is Joseph, like, okay?" Ernie asked.

"I hope not," Lilith giggled.

"...Okay, yeah, that explains a lot actually," Ernie accepted as he looked at Lilith with contempt.

"Welcome to the show, Ernie!" Lester greeted.

"It is truly an honor and a pleasure to be here," Ernie droned.

"Believe me, the pleasure is ours," River claimed dryly.

The two shared a friendly smirk.

"Alright, first question!" Lester prompted. "It seemed like you had problems with... pretty much everybody on the Grand Gryphons. Do you think you would have been able to gel better with anyone on the Fighting Wyverns, assuming the teams weren't broken up by whether or not you made the merge?"

"I, like, genuinely couldn't tell you," Ernie half-answered. "The person on that team I could see myself getting along with the best is, ya know, Kiki, and even she started making fun of my middle name and named her damn robot after it. _Maybe_ I could have gotten along with Jean-Marie, too, but the rest all seem like they'd get on my nerves one way or another."

"It's almost like they intentionally cast annoying people because drama is supposed to make for good TV," Zelda remarked.

"We get it, you don't want to be here." Erica rolled her eyes.

"You cannot tell me you weren't about to say the same thing!" Zelda accused.

"Zelda, please, she's just trying to get on your nerves," Wanda pleaded.

"And Zelda isn't?" Erica scoffed.

"Maybe she's onto something about them casting annoying people," Ursula snickered to Osric.

"Look, if it leads to catfights, I certainly can't complain," Osric jested.

"Violence against women is a serious problem," Tucker sighed. "Tucker can't condone this."

"Who the hell _are _you?" David asked.

"Do you have any regrets about not sticking with the League of Villains alliance that was proposed early on?" River asked Ernie. "I can't lie, I probably would have gone with it. Being part of a league of villains sounds tight."

"No regrets whatsoever," Ernie said honestly. "I never trusted Hugh, Irving, or Lilith to be trustworthy for even a second. Nor could I trust any of them to not drive me up the wall. I saw Bailey and Brittany as potentially good allies, sure, but they weren't originally part of the deal. They were originally part of the deal with Shadya, and then they broke that deal. I don't know if that would have changed if I was working with Hugh and Irving or not, but, ya know, I think I made the best call I could have."

"Until it led to both of us sitting here, of course," Isidora mentioned.

"It could not be less my fault that, like, everyone is stupid enough to just let Irving run the game," Ernie claimed.

"You can't over- or under-estimate people's intelligence in Total Drama," Phoenix said.

"Then why did it feel like I was the only one playing the game so much of the time?" Ernie challenged.

"Just because you don't understand people's actions doesn't mean they aren't acting logically," Ronoc mused. "It just means they're acting in a logic that makes sense to them."

Jynxie bonked Ronoc on the head again.

"You know what, fair, I guess I only said you wouldn't get any more lines, that's on me for not being more specific in my restrictions," Ronoc decided.

Jynxie grinned proudly.

"But yeah, I decided to stick with allies who I felt I could trust," Ernie continued. "And I did whatever I could to keep that alliance together and functional, but deadass nobody wanted to listen to me."

"Why do you think that is?" Lester asked.

"My best, honest guess is that they saw me and Shadya as threats and wanted to screw us over," Ernie avowed. "I'm not sure how I'm a bigger priority to take out than, like, Irving, but there isn't much I can do about that."

"I mean, you also could have been nicer to Brittany and Steve Jenkins," David brought up. "This isn't even the first time you've lost potential allies because you rubbed them the wrong way, you know."

"I'm glad I asked," Ernie scowled.

"Being nice can go a long way!" Wanda backed up. "It's like... if the goal is to not be voted out, you should make it so people don't want to vote you out."

"Being nice shouldn't _matter_. It's about what makes the most sense for the game, and continuing to let Irving run the team isn't good for anyone's game but Irving's!" Ernie claimed.

"The world don't really work like that. Maybe once you're a lawyer, it'd be fine, but most people don't really take to that," Vardaman commented.

"Screw that. If people are being dumb, they should be called out on it. Otherwise, the world's going to keep going to shit!" Erica argued.

"Yes, if you've got problems with other people, you should aaaaalways let them know," Lilith smiled. "How else will they know when they're messing up? Mweeheehee..."

"Different people have different definitions of what's dumb, though," Warwick brought up.

"Evidently, if this game's anything to go by," Isidora agreed.

"Our next viewer question... oh, hold on, we do, in fact, have her on video call!" Lester informed.

"Fancy," Felix smiled.

The large screen behind the sofa where Lester and River sat powered on, showing a pretty, well-dressed woman in what looked to be a home office.

"From Total Drama House Party, we've got Rachel!" Lester announced.

"Hey. Sorry I couldn't make it in person, but I'm involved in a pretty important work project right now," Rachel excused.

"Damn, that would have been a perfect excuse to get out of this job," River muttered.

"You're unemployed, though," Lester pointed out.

"They don't need to know that," River grumbled.

"Anyway, I have been watching a few highlights of the VIP fan live feeds when I get the chance to," Rachel explained. "And I'm... mostly just confused at how you played this, Ernie."

"Oh? Do tell," Ernie grunted.

"It seemed like you wanted to be in control of everything, but you also made little issue to establish trust or connections with people," Rachel explained. "How did you expect to get people to listen to you when you didn't want to listen to them? How did you expect people to want to work with you when you didn't want to work with them? What was your game plan?"

"Life isn't necessarily about, ya know, getting people to like you," Ernie posited. "It's about getting things done, one way or another. You don't have to like your coworkers, your clients, your boss. All we had to do was vote out Irving. That's all we had to do. We had the plan. I had no reason to expect, like, people to not go through with it."

"That may be, but there's nothing to be lost in getting along with people," Rachel suggested. "You don't necessarily have to like everybody, but what's the harm in at least being nice to someone?"

"I _tried_," Ernie stressed. "Shockingly, it's not easy to be patient when the key to not being voted out is goddamn Steve Jenkins."

"I must agree with Ernie, here!" Dunstan mentioned. "You do not owe anyone your kindness if they are acting in a way that harms others!"

"Steve Jenkins isn't harmful, he's just an annoying dumbass," Tucker countered.

"That can be harmful to one's sanity," River claimed.

"Exactly," Ernie nodded.

"Well, I'm with Rachel on this one," Ursula chimed in. "You can't just ignore the emotions of others in this game. These are _people _playing the game, and they're going to have human reactions if you do something to upset them."

"I agree!" Wanda proclaimed. "Ernie, you're clearly upset with how other people treated you in the game. Can't you see where other people might be coming from if they felt like you treated them bad?"

"Since when did you get so profound?" Zelda remarked.

"Was that profound? Neat!" Wanda chirped.

"Look, I don't know what you want from me," Ernie shrugged. "I did my best. If my best isn't good enough for some people, then, like, fine. Whatever."

"That's fair," Rachel accepted. "Just keep in mind how important the heart is to some people. It could make a difference."

"If you say so," Ernie said.

"Thanks for calling, Rachel!" Lester grinned.

"Of course! I wish I could have been able to meet up with everyone in person. Maybe someday!" Rachel promised.

Rachel ended her video call.

"Last question, Ernie," Lester continued. "Who do you want to win, and who do you want to see go home next?"

"As for who I want to win? Probably Shadya," Ernie answered. "I'm pretty sure she was, like, the only person not to vote me out tonight. For who I want to see go next? That's honestly tough. Out of the people I can't stand, Steve Jenkins is probably playing the objective worst game, so I pick him. If someone's going to win, then, ya know, they should have earned it."

"Was that a jab at me?" David asked Tucker.

"Probably," Tucker figured.

"Well, thank god this Aftermath is all over, right?" River asked.

"Wrong!" Lester refuted.

"Wrong? Whatever do you mean?" River recited.

"You didn't think we'd have an Aftermath without some kind of neat segment involving those who've been eliminated, did you?" Lester asked. "I'm Lester Jay, damn it! Wacky games are my thing!"

"We will need Joseph back. It shouldn't take too long," River mentioned.

"He actually shut off the stream in the waiting room. I'll go get him," Ernie informed as he stood up and left the stage.

"So, wait, what's going on?" Isidora asked.

"Something horrible, I bet," Lilith grinned.

"What do you think it'll be?" Vardaman asked Phoenix.

"I'm honestly not sure. Hopefully, nothing drastic," Phoenix thought aloud.

Ernie returned with a reluctant Joseph. The two sat on the sofa behind Lilith and Isidora.

"Alright! You guys may be out of the game, but it's time for what I like to call... the Last Hurrah Challenge!"

"The what?" Ernie asked.

"Sounds pretty important," Joseph commented.

"The four of you are going to compete in a small challenge," River explained. "Don't get your hopes up, nobody is returning to the game after being voted out."

"River, that was supposed to be a secret!" Lester scolded.

"So was my current unemployment," River snipped. "Anyway, this challenge is still worth playing and winning, I assure you."

A few interns handed each of the four eliminated contestants a small handheld device.

"We're going to be asking ten questions about the folks over there at the peanut gallery," Lester explained. "All of them will be multiple choice. All you guys have to do is select A, B, C, or D on your device. Get it right, get a point. Whoever has the most points after ten questions wins the challenge!"

"Most of us don't know anything about most of these people," Ernie pointed out.

"These should all be answerable by anyone who's paid attention to the last few seasons. Nothing obscure," River added.

"Sounds interesting. Bring it on!" Joseph requested readily.

"Alright, without further ado... Question One!" Lester began. "We'll start with an easy one. As you may remember, our friend David prefers to go by his middle name. What's his first name? A: Lesley. B: Lillian. C: Lloyd. D: Leroy."

"Hey, come on, man," David whined.

"It could be worse. They could be bringing up your music taste from back then," Erica snickered.

"Listen, every metalhead has to start somewhere!" David maintained.

The former contestants all made their guesses. The screen that had shown Rachel now displayed a picture of the four competing players, and a blank space next to each of them.

"Let's see what everyone guessed," Lester decided.

Lilith guessed B, Isidora guessed C, Joseph guessed A, Ernie guessed C.

"The correct answer is... C, Lloyd!" Lester announced. "Isidora and Ernie each get a point!"

"I don't know why you remember that or why you felt the need to tell me the other day, but, uh, thanks, I guess," Isidora said to Ernie.

"It's because his middle name is Jayne, and that's embarrassing, too!" David called out.

Ernie shot an annoyed look at David.

"Hey, no shame in sharing a name with Mr. Tales of Symphonia himself," Lester assured.

"Question Two," River carried on. "Who sent Ursula a letter from home back in Alpha Party? A: Her parents. B: Her uncle. C: Her friends. D: Her older brother."

"Damn, they are getting personal, here, aren't they?" Ursula winced.

"This show has never really shied away from that kind of thing," Osric mentioned.

The four players all made their guesses. The screen displayed that Lilith guessed B, Isidora guessed B, Joseph guessed C, and Ernie guessed D.

"The correct answer was B, her uncle," River revealed. "That's a point for Lilith and a point for Isidora. Isidora leads with two points, but, as we all know, things can always change."

"It helps that I was there when we got our letters from home," Isidora shrugged.

"I remember that, too," Vardaman recalled. "Didn't you name your cat something real outlandish?" he asked Isidora.

"Vinnie named the cat," Isidora insisted.

"Anyway, Question Three!" Lester prompted. "According to the file in the final challenge of the season, when is Zelda's birthday? A: November 13th. B: September 5th. C: October 31st. D: August 10th."

"What a weird way to word the question," Isidora commented.

"I know why they worded it like that," Joseph smiled to himself.

The players made their guesses. Lilith guessed B, Isidora guessed B, Joseph guessed A, Ernie guessed A.

"The correct answer... is A!" Lester announced. "Wanda actually cited September 5th as Zelda's birthday in a different episode, but that's actually wrong."

"I got her birthday confused with Dad's!" Wanda spluttered.

"It happens," Zelda sighed.

"Anyway, Joseph and Ernie get a point!" Lester mentioned. "It's still anyone's challenge!"

"Question Four," River began. "Which weapon did Felix take in the gladiator challenge in Virtual Party? A: Knives. B: Sword. C: Bow. D. Axe."

"Now that's easy," Joseph grinned.

"Yeah, easy for you who was, like, in his season and on his team," Ernie grunted.

The players made their guesses. Lilith guessed C, Isidora guessed B, Joseph guessed C, Ernie guessed A.

"The correct answer is C, the bow," River informed. "That's another point for Lilith and Joseph. Everyone is all tied up with two points each, now. I can barely contain my excitement."

"It's a shame because I actually have a lot of experience with archery, but I still didn't do very well in that challenge," Felix chuckled.

"There were a couple of instances where archery was necessary to win challenges in Alpha Party," Warwick recalled. "Perhaps if you were there instead of Fauna, the season could have gone much better!"

"Actually, Alpha Party is the fan-favorite season, from what I can tell," Ronoc mentioned.

"Well yeah, I was in that one," Lester winked. "Anyway, Question Five! Who did Tucker have at the top of his 'ranking the girls by hotness' list as of the motel episode of House Party? A: Lauren. B: Judy. C: CJ. D: Rachel."

"I wonder where I would rank... Probably _dead_ last," Lilith mused.

"With Tucker, who can honestly say?" Ernie commented.

The players made their guesses. Lilith guessed D, Isidora guessed D, Joseph guessed A, Ernie guessed D.

"The correct answer is... D, Rachel!" Lester announced. "That's a point for Lilith, Isidora, and Ernie."

"Tucker would like to publicly apologize for ever making a list like that," Tucker gulped.

"We were all young once. As long as you've grown out of it, you're fine," Phoenix told him.

"Give me another Virtual Party question. I'm falling behind!" Joseph requested.

"The questions have already been decided, obviously," River informed. "Anyway, Question Six: Where did Vardaman say he was working as of Total Drama Alpha Party? A: A butchery. B: A metal shop. C. A wood shop. D. A bakery."

"...Even I had to think about this one for a second," Isidora admitted.

"What an awful sister-in-law you are, forgetting aaaaall about it," Lilith giggled.

"I'll never forgive myself," Isidora deadpanned.

The players all made their guesses. Lilith guessed C, Isidora guessed B, Joseph guessed D, Ernie guessed C.

"The correct answer is... B, a metal shop," River confirmed. "This puts Isidora in the lead with four points."

"I actually just left my job there last year to focus on medical school full-time," Vardaman told everyone. "Dr. Foshee will become a reality in just a few more years."

"And to think, I only married the farmer of the Foshee brothers," Isidora joked. "He's much more my type, anyway."

"Even if I was your type, Naomi claimed me first, sorry," Vardaman played along.

"I'll make it through. Somehow," Isidora faux-lamented.

"Question Seven, everyone!" Lester redirected. "How did Wanda try to combat the dragon she faced in the bone-collecting challenge of Virtual Party? A: Ice magic. B: Thunder magic. C: Light magic. D: A friendly chat."

"Um, actually, thunder is the sound that lightning makes," Ernie bantered.

"Maybe it was sound magic," Joseph suggested.

"I'm, ya know, just joking, but sure, maybe that is what he meant," Ernie responded.

The players made their guesses. Lilith guessed A, Isidora guessed D, Joseph guessed A, Ernie guessed C.

"The correct answer... was A!" Lester announced. "Any Pokemon fan knows dragons are weak to ice."

"Really? I just picked ice because Gunther suggested it." Wanda explained. "Before he used me as a diversion and let me die a fiery death."

"I've always wondered what else Gunther may be capable of..." Lilith professed. "I always sensed... _potential_ in him."

"Anyway, this means that Lilith and Joseph get another point, tying Lilith with Isidora for the lead with four points each!" Lester informed. "Joseph and Ernie are only one point behind, though."

"We've got to be playing for something good, here," Joseph told himself readily.

"Alright, Question Eight," River carried on. "What was the name of Dunstan's spirit in the final six challenge of Virtual Party? A: Elevator Man. B: Rocket Man. C: Working Man. D: Piano Man."

"A truly bizarre challenge indeed!" Dunstan commented.

Phoenix raised an eyebrow.

"What a fuuuun challenge," Lilith reminisced. "I do wish they'd brought the virtual reality machine back."

"They had to sell it to make this show even possible," River explained.

The players made their guesses. Lilith guessed D, Isidora guessed D, Joseph guessed D, Ernie guessed C.

"The correct answer was D, Piano Man," River revealed. "Lilith, Isidora, and Joseph all get a point."

"I liked that episode," Joseph smiled. "It was neat seeing Lilith's downfall after all the grief she gave me."

"Awwww, I really do live rent-free in your brain, huh?" Lilith flirted.

"Lilith and Isidora are still in the lead," Lester reminded. "We'll go to a tiebreaker if need be, but for now... Question Nine: How many votes did Warwick receive over the course of Alpha Party, including revotes? A: 10. B: 15. C: 20. D: 25."

"Come on, these are totally rigged for Isidora," Ernie accused.

"Everyone in the peanut gallery is supposed to be someone we've interacted with to some extent. I don't know," Isidora shrugged.

"And to be fair, _I_ don't even know how many votes I got against me off the top of my head!" Warwick defended.

The players all made their guesses. Lilith guessed C, Isidora guessed B, Joseph guessed B, Ernie guessed C.

"The correct answer... is B!" Lester announced. "That's a point for Isidora and Joseph. Would you believe that the last time Warwick received votes was when Yolonda got eliminated by random draw?"

"Heh. Lucky guess," Joseph admitted.

"This means I'm basically out, right?" Ernie said as he glanced at the screen.

Lilith had 5 points, Isidora had 6 points, Joseph had 5 points, and Ernie had 3 points.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so, but you can always keep guessing to show off your TD knowledge," Lester encouraged.

"Or because the quiz game is programmed to not continue until everyone's made a guess," River added.

"If Isidora gets this last question wrong, and Lilith and/or Joseph get it right, we'll go to a tiebreaker," Lester reminded everyone.

"Question Ten," River began. "What did Rachel cite as her favorite tea in Total Drama House Party? A: Oolong. B: Chamomile. C: Earl Grey. D: Black Coffee."

"Come on, if you're going to pick another House Party player, why pick the girl who didn't even show up over me?!" Erica objected.

"Yeah, _that's_ why you have an issue with it," David chuckled.

"My thing against Rachel was forever ago. Move on," Erica grumbled.

"I feel like any of these could be right," Joseph thought aloud. "Even the coffee one."

Ernie yawned. "I think I actually remember this one. Too bad, like, my vote doesn't matter."

The players all made their guesses. Lilith guessed A, Isidora guessed C, Joseph guessed D, Ernie guessed C.

"The correct answer is, in fact, C," River confirmed.

"Which means, GG Isidora, you have won the Last Hurrah Challenge!" Lester proclaimed.

This was met with some cheers and applause from the audience, as well as the Alpha Party representatives in the peanut gallery.

"So, what do I get for all of this, again?" Isidora asked.

"Well, it's not so much what _you've_ won, as much as it is what you winning represents," Lester said. "You see, when we asked who you were rooting for, that wasn't just because we were interested in what you had to say."

"What do you take us for, an interview show?" River quipped.

"By winning the Last Hurrah Challenge, Isidora, you've given Shadya, the person you're rooting for most, a clue to a hidden statue in Isolation Park," Lester explained. "She will receive the clue overnight, delivered to her room. What she does with that clue is up to her, but it should be of good use to her."

"Don't you need to be voted as the worst-performing person when your team wins a challenge in order to end up there?" Ernie asked. "That might be tough for her to, like, accomplish."

"That's the game balance of it all. It's an advantage, but it's one she'll have to work to make use of," Lester countered.

"Interesting," Isidora accepted.

"It'd be more fun if I got to haunt the person I don't want to win with a disadvantage," Lilith commented.

"That'd be weird if the person we want to win and the person we want to go next are on the same team. How would that work?" Joseph questioned.

"Awww, I think you're weird, too~" Lilith cooed.

"Well, anyway, this has been the Total Drama Party with the Stars Aftermath show!" Lester told the crowd.

"I hope you guys didn't feel like it was a complete waste of your time," River added.

"We'll be seeing you guys after every four eliminations, and with no more reward challenges, that means we should be seeing you guys again relatively soon!" Lester informed.

"Unless you guys hated this, in which case, I imagine you'll be skipping the rest of the Aftermath episodes," River figured.

"Well, don't encourage them!" Lester huffed.

"I don't think I'm the one encouraging anyone to stop watching, somehow," River remarked.

"Anyway, we hope to see you guys soon. In the meantime, stay tuned for the next nail-biting adventure of our all-stars!" Lester beamed. "On Total!"

"Drama," River sighed.

"Party with the Stars!" Lester and River concluded with differing levels of enthusiasm.

"Fuck you Ronoc, you can't silence me!" Jynxie shouted.

"If only," Dunstan groaned.

* * *

_A/N: I knew I wanted the poor souls who didn't qualify for a player spot in this season to show up in at least some capacity (and that I wanted to keep up a 26-episode format without returnees), so here it is, the return of a classic Total Drama segment. I always had a soft spot for these episodes in the real show, and though I never felt it really fit to bring them back in my prior seasons, I felt like it made a lot of sense here. So let me know what you guys think. Hopefully, you enjoyed it!_


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